CHICKEN WITH 40 CLOVES OF GARLIC MAY HAVE BEEN INVENTED BY EITHER JAMES BEARD OR JULIA CHILD BEFORE INA GARTEN PUBLISHED HER OWN VERSION. SUCH IS THE FATE OF CLASSIC RECIPES. SO I'M THROWING MY TOQUE IN THE RING AND OFFER YOU MY OWN INTERPRETATION. THE ORIGINAL RECIPE CALLS FOR A ROAST CHICKEN, BAKED WITH LOTS OF WHOLE GARLIC CLOVES, WHICH ARE TRANSFORMED INTO A SAUCE FOR THE CHICKEN. I PAN-COOKED A BUNCH OF THIGHS, ADDED THE GARLIC HALFWAY THROUGH AND MASHED THE COOKED CLOVES TO MAKE THE SAUCE. IF YOU PREFER THE BEARD/CHILD/GARTEN METHOD, BE MY GUEST. BUT THIS ONE'S QUICK AND EASY, SO YOU MIGHT WANT TO GIVE IT A SHOT.
DRY THE THIGHS THOROUGHLY WITH PAPER TOWELS. SALT AND PEPPER.
HEAT 4 TBSPS OF OLIVE OIL IN A LARGE FRYING PAN. WHEN THE OIL IS HOT, LAY IN THE CHICKEN THIGHS, SKIN SIDE DOWN. LEAVE SOME SPACE BETWEEN THEM OR THEY WON'T BROWN PROPERLY.
AFTER A MINUTE, SHAKE THE PAN TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE NOT STICKING, THEN TURN THE HEAT DOWN TO MEDIUM/LOW. COOK FOR 8-10 MINUTES OR UNTIL THE SKIN IS GOLDEN BROWN. TURN THEM OVER AND BROWN ON THE OTHER SIDE.
MEANWHILE, BREAK DOWN THE GARLIC HEADS, SEPARATE THE CLOVES AND PEEL. THE BEST WAY TO DO THIS IS TO TRIM OFF THE ROOT ENDS, THEN PRESS DOWN ON THEM WITH THE FLAT OF BUTCHER'S KNIFE. THE SKINS SHOULD BE EASY TO REMOVE.
ONCE YOU FLIP THE THIGHS, SCATTER THE GARLIC CLOVES BETWEEN THEM. CONTINUE COOKING UNTIL THE JUICE RUNS CLEAR WHEN A SHARP FORK IS INSERTED IN THE THIGHS.
REMOVE THE THIGHS TO A PLATE. DRAIN OFF SOME OF THE COOKING FAT.
IF THE GARLIC CLOVES ARE SOFT, CRUSH THEM WITH A DINNER FORK. IF THEY NEED MORE COOKING, ADD 1/2 CUP OF WATER AND POACH THEM ON A LOW HEAT UNTIL THEY'RE SOFT. SQUEEZE IN A FEW TBSPS OF LEMON JUICE TO THE SAUCE.
RETURN THE THIGHS TO THE PAN AND BASTE FOR A MINUTE OR SO WITH THE GARLIC SAUCE.
ARRANGE THE THIGHS ON A SERVING PLATTER AND SPOON THE GARLIC SAUCE OVER THEM. GARNISH WITH ROUGHLY-CHOPPED PARSLEY.
SERVES 4-6
Ingredients
Directions
DRY THE THIGHS THOROUGHLY WITH PAPER TOWELS. SALT AND PEPPER.
HEAT 4 TBSPS OF OLIVE OIL IN A LARGE FRYING PAN. WHEN THE OIL IS HOT, LAY IN THE CHICKEN THIGHS, SKIN SIDE DOWN. LEAVE SOME SPACE BETWEEN THEM OR THEY WON'T BROWN PROPERLY.
AFTER A MINUTE, SHAKE THE PAN TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE NOT STICKING, THEN TURN THE HEAT DOWN TO MEDIUM/LOW. COOK FOR 8-10 MINUTES OR UNTIL THE SKIN IS GOLDEN BROWN. TURN THEM OVER AND BROWN ON THE OTHER SIDE.
MEANWHILE, BREAK DOWN THE GARLIC HEADS, SEPARATE THE CLOVES AND PEEL. THE BEST WAY TO DO THIS IS TO TRIM OFF THE ROOT ENDS, THEN PRESS DOWN ON THEM WITH THE FLAT OF BUTCHER'S KNIFE. THE SKINS SHOULD BE EASY TO REMOVE.
ONCE YOU FLIP THE THIGHS, SCATTER THE GARLIC CLOVES BETWEEN THEM. CONTINUE COOKING UNTIL THE JUICE RUNS CLEAR WHEN A SHARP FORK IS INSERTED IN THE THIGHS.
REMOVE THE THIGHS TO A PLATE. DRAIN OFF SOME OF THE COOKING FAT.
IF THE GARLIC CLOVES ARE SOFT, CRUSH THEM WITH A DINNER FORK. IF THEY NEED MORE COOKING, ADD 1/2 CUP OF WATER AND POACH THEM ON A LOW HEAT UNTIL THEY'RE SOFT. SQUEEZE IN A FEW TBSPS OF LEMON JUICE TO THE SAUCE.
RETURN THE THIGHS TO THE PAN AND BASTE FOR A MINUTE OR SO WITH THE GARLIC SAUCE.
ARRANGE THE THIGHS ON A SERVING PLATTER AND SPOON THE GARLIC SAUCE OVER THEM. GARNISH WITH ROUGHLY-CHOPPED PARSLEY.
SERVES 4-6