chicken with 40 cloves of garlic

There are some recipes I see about a million times - each time thinking, "I've got to make that!" - before I actually get around to making it.

This is one of those gems.

I've seen a lot of recipes for this dish, but none more than my beloved Ina Garten's version. If it's one of her go-to dishes, I'm sold. Where she leads, I will follow.

The name of this dish is hilarious, because, even for a garlic lover like me, it really doesn't sound appealing. It conjures up scary thoughts of massive, rock hard garlic cloves overpowering the poor, innocent chicken. BUT that couldn't be further from the truth! The garlic cooks long and slow, and becomes sweet, tender, and incredibly mild.

But you don't have to trust me -- just trust Ina.

Chicken with 40 Garlic Cloves (adapted from Ina Garten)
serves 4

you'll need:
40 cloves of garlic (I used the pre-peeled cloves from my grocery store. Please, resist the urge to be virtuous, and do the same. If you're determined, however, this is about 3 whole heads.)
8 chicken thighs, bone in, skin on
salt & pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups white wine
1 tablespoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons milk (I used 2%)

Liberally season chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat butter and olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. In batches, brown the chicken skin side down first, about 3-5 minutes per side. When browned, transfer chicken to a plate and set aside, then continue with the rest of the chicken. Remove the last chicken from the pot to the plate, then add all of the garlic cloves. Lower heat to medium. Stirring often, brown garlic for about 3-5 minutes. Add the wine wine and, scraping all the brown bits at the bottom of the pot, bring back to a boil. Return the chicken to the pot and sprinkle with thyme. Turn heat to the lowest setting, cover, and let simmer for about 30 minutes, or until chicken is completely cooked through.

Remove chicken from the pot and transfer to a plate. Cover with foil to allow chicken to rest and keep warm. Ladle about 1/2 cup of the sauce from the pot into a mixing bowl. Whisk with flour, then return to the pot. Add milk and boil for 3 minutes. Check the sauce for seasoning and add salt and pepper as necessary.

To serve, pour sauce and garlic over chicken and serve hot. Enjoy!!!

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