Ina Garten’s Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic

When I was pregnant with baby number four, Iona and I would always watch the Barefoot Contessa after I picked her up from preschool.  It was part of our daily routine that added to my ever-expanding baby belly.  We’d watch while resting in bed and inevitably we would both fall asleep dreaming of what recipe to tackle next.  We became mega fans of Ina Garten in a big hurry and made recipe after recipe. 

Ina’s recipes have always been non-threatening crowd pleasers.  One of those recipes is her Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic.  We made it tonight, and even though I screwed up a time or two, it still came out great!  In my defense, there was too much going on… kids, dogs, drop off, pickup, homework, round and round.  Throw in some garlic mashed potatoes and Tyler Florence’s Herb Asparagus Salad, and all was right around the Taylor dinner table.  Here’s a guaranteed to please Ina Garten recipe.  

Enjoy!

xoxo,

Inger

Ina Garten’s Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic

• whole heads garlic, about 40 cloves
• 2 (3-1⁄2 pound) chickens, cut into eighths
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons good olive oil
• 3 tablespoons Cognac, divided
• 1-1⁄2 cups dry white wine
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream

Separate the cloves of garlic and drop them into a pot of boiling water for 60 seconds. Drain the garlic and peel. Set aside.

Dry the chicken with paper towels. Season liberally with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat the butter and oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. In batches, sauté the chicken in the fat, skin side down first, until nicely browned, about 3 to 5 minutes on each side. Turn with tongs or a spatula; you don’t want to pierce the skin with a fork. If the fat is burning, turn the heat down to medium. When a batch is done, transfer it to a plate and continue to sauté all the chicken in batches. Remove the last chicken to the plate and add all of the garlic to the pot. Lower the heat and sauté for 5 to 10 minutes, turning often, until evenly browned. Add 2 tablespoons of the Cognac and the wine, return to a boil, and scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Return the chicken to the pot with the juices and sprinkle with the thyme leaves. Cover and simmer over the lowest heat for about 30 minutes, until all the chicken is done.

Remove the chicken to a platter and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm. In a small bowl, whisk together 1⁄2 cup of the sauce and the flour and then whisk it back into the sauce in the pot. Raise the heat, add the remaining tablespoon of Cognac and the cream, and boil for 3 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste; it should be very flavorful because chicken tends to be bland. Pour the sauce and the garlic over the chicken and serve hot.

Copyright 2004, Barefoot in Paris by Ina Garten, Clarkson Potter/Publishers, All Rights Reserved