Chicken With 40 Cloves Of Garlic

Serves approximately 6 people.

Ingredients:

  • 6 chicken legs 
  • 6 skin and bone-in thighs (any bits of chicken you like, just not breasts which will get too dry)
  • ½ cup Vermouth 
  • 8 sprigs of parsley 
  • 8 sprigs of thyme 
  • 4 celery stalks 
  • 2 onions roughly chopped 
  • 40 garlic cloves 
  • 3 tablespoons virgin olive oil 
  • 3 tablespoons butter 

Brine:

  • 1/2 cup salt
  • 1 lemon
  • 2 tablespoons peppercorns
  • 1/4 cups sugar

Instructions:

  1. If you have time, brine the chicken overnight in a big bowl. Cover chicken pieces in water and ½ cup of salt, 1 lemon, 2 tablespoons peppercorns, ¼ cup sugar.
  2. Thoroughly dry the chicken and season with pepper and salt all over.
  3. Heat the oil and butter in a cast-iron pan and brown the chicken on medium-high heat. Add chicken in batches, skin side down, don’t crowd the pan, turn after 3-4 mins.
  4. Remove chicken when it is all browned and add the 40 cloves and the onion to the pan and cook till beginning to brown, add vermouth, light it, and deglaze the pan. 
  5. Now get your dutch oven or big saucepan, honestly get a dutch oven or get someone to buy you one, even better, you will use it forever.
  6. Add the chicken and the onion and garlic mix and scrap out the pan juices, add a few stalks of celery, parsley, and thyme and mix around so that all the goodies are mixed together. 
  7. Cover the top tightly and securely with tin foil and then add the lid.
  8. Put it in the oven at 400 degrees F for 90 mins, no peaking. 
  9. Bring it out and serve chicken pieces covered in sauce and with crusty bread if you are not off the bread for Lent, or off the carbs in general. Serve with a crunchy salad and whatever vegs you love.