Forty Clove Chicken

Forty cloves of garlic sounds alarming. The result is mild, sweet, and deeply savoury — the garlic braises slowly and loses all its sharpness. A French classic that's almost entirely hands-off.

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken, jointed into 8 pieces
• 40 cloves garlic, unpeeled (about 4 heads)
• 200 ml dry white wine
• 200 ml chicken stock
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 0 to taste salt and black pepper

Method

1. 1

   Heat oven to 180°C. Season chicken pieces well on both sides.

2. 2

   Heat olive oil in a large ovenproof casserole over high heat. Brown chicken in batches until golden on both sides, 3-4 minutes per side. Remove and set aside.

3. 3

   Add garlic cloves to the pan and cook 2 minutes. Pour in wine and let it bubble for 1 minute.

4. 4

   Return chicken to the pan. Add stock and herbs. The liquid should come about a third of the way up the chicken.

5. 5

   Cover and bake for 45-50 minutes until chicken is cooked through and garlic is completely soft.

6. 6

   Squeeze a few garlic cloves out of their skins and mash into the sauce. Serve with crusty bread for mopping — the guests squeeze the remaining cloves themselves.