Good Eats - 40 Cloves Garlic Chicken

Slow Roasted...
40+ Cloves of Garlic
Fresh Herbs and Lemon
Organic Free Range Chicken
2 Hours in the Oven
Viola!

I have always wanted to try this recipe.
After I mention this, people all around are telling me how they do it.
...Roast entire heads of garlic then use them as spread
...40 isn't enough, 60 cloves
...Extra herbs
...Use chicken pieces instead of whole
...Extra citrus
...cook entirely with 400 degrees
...cook in crock pot
etc, etc, etc.

Here is the basic, feel free to improvise!
My menu was...40 Cloves Garlic Chicken; Roasted Vegetables with Cous Cous; Warm Balsamic Dressing with Cranberries

40 Cloves Garlic Chicken

Ingredients

3-4 heads of garlic, about 40 cloves

4 lbs of roasting chickens (parts will work too)

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves (or 2 teaspoons of dry herb)

1 tablespoon fresh Sage or Rosemary

½ onion sliced

1 stalk of celery, cut into 3 inch pieces

2 small carrots, peeled and cut into 3 inch pieces

2 tablespoons good olive oil

Kosher or Sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 cup dry white wine

Juice of 1 lemon

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons of butter

Directions

Lightly pressed the cloves with a cleaver to separate from skin, then remove skin

Dry the chicken with paper towels

Brush skin with olive oil

Season liberally with salt and pepper, especially the cavity

Put celery and carrots inside the cavity

Line roasting pan (with cover) with the sliced onion

Place garlic cloves on top of onion

Put Chicken on top of the garlic

Sprinkle the chicken with the herbs

Roast chicken uncovered at 400 degrees for 25 minutes

Add white wine and lemon juice to the pan

Cover and reduce temperature to 325 for 1 hour

Do not uncover the lid until the chicken is done

Remove the chicken and let rest for 10 minutes

Remove the onion from the pan, put the garlic and the liquid from the roasting pan into blender (skim off the top layer of fat from the pan juice)

Blend until uniform consistency

Pour into a pan, heat to boil

Mix butter and flour together a paste

Add flour paste as needed to thicken the sauce, salt and pepper to taste

Serve over chicken

Warm Balsamic Dressing 

(for salad & vegetable dishes)

                      

Ingredients

1/2 cup dried currants/cransins (also great with fresh grapes)

7 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 5-ounce package thinly sliced pancetta (Italian bacon), finely chopped

2 tablespoon finely chopped shallot

2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Pinch of sugar

salt & pepper to taste

1/2 cup candied nuts, coarsely chopped 

Directions

Place currants in small bowl. Heat vinegar in saucepan over medium heat until hot (do not boil). Pour vinegar over currants; let soak until currants soften, 15 to 20 minutes.

Heat large nonstick skillet over medium- high heat. Add pancetta; sauté in low-med heat until brown and crisp, about 5-7 minutes. Add shallot to pancetta and drippings in skillet; sauté 1 minute. Remove from heat. Stir in currant- vinegar mixture and olive oil. Add sugar, salt and pepper. Sprinkle nuts over sauce.

Dinner is Served!