Roasted Chicken with 60 Cloves of Garlic
Growing up, I would celebrate every special occasion with my family at our favorite bib-wearing mega seafood restaurant that was famous for its lobster tanks and garlic buns. My family would proudly request extra garlic sauce, and I would indulge. So, naturally, my parents picked this place to announce we were picking up and moving after my freshman year of high school. I cried through two stacks of paper towels and permanently lost my taste for garlic...until this dish.
Knowing that garlic is great for my health, I bravely gave this legendary dish a shot. Part of the allium family (shallots, onions, etc.), garlic has been shown to improve cardiovascular health, reduce the risk of certain cancers and boost the immune system. To get the best results, eat garlic raw. While I can't say I've fully recovered to go that far, I will now indulge in this dish that cooks the cloves down into a savory sauce sans the distinct garlic sting.
There are many various recipes for this dish. I adapted mine from Saveur and served it with grilled veggies topped with a sunflower seed vinaigrette.
Ingredients
3 T olive oil
60 cloves of garlic, peeled (You can use 40 - 100 cloves depending on the strength - go by smell. Be sure you are counting the individual cloves, not a whole bulb. I buy mine pre-peeled.)
3 to 4-lb. chicken, on the bone. I used 2 breasts and 4 thighs.
1⁄2 cup dry vermouth
3⁄4 cup chicken stock
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
Instructions
Heat oven to 350°.
Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
Season chicken with salt and pepper; add to pot and cook, turning once, until browned, about 15 minutes.
Transfer to an 8" x 8" baking dish; set aside.
Add garlic to pot; cook until browned in spots, about 6 minutes.
Add vermouth; cook, scraping bottom of pot, until slightly reduced, about 2 minutes.
Add stock and bring to a boil.
Transfer 1⁄4 of the garlic to baking dish.
Mash remaining into stock.
Pour over chicken; bake until chicken is glazed and tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
Garnish with microgreens if you really want to impress.
HEARTFUL RECIPE - One of our real food recipes that focuses on veggies, protein, healthy fats and/or healthy carbs and doesn't include gluten, dairy (substitute oil for butter), soy, refined sugar, corn or peanuts.
