Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic

By RoketJSquerl

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon unbleached, all-purpose flour
• 8 chicken thighs, with skin and bones
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt, separated
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 40 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1/2 cup dry sherry
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1/4 cup half and half
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme

Details

Servings 4
Preparation time 25mins
Cooking time 70mins
Adapted from southernboydishes.com

Preparation

Step 1

1. Blend butter and flour together with a fork. Using your fingers, continue blending until flour is completely incorporated into butter. Set aside.

2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Season chicken thighs with 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Heat olive oil in a large iron skillet over medium high heat. Starting with skin side down, place thighs in hot oil. Brown for 4 to 5 minutes on each side. If necessary, brown chicken in batches. Transfer chicken to a plate.

3. Drain all but 1 tablespoon of oil from the skillet. Reduce to medium heat and transfer garlic to skillet. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until cloves are beginning to brown. Add sherry and cook until almost evaporated. Add chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Add butter/flour mixture and whisk until well combined. Continue cooking for 3 to 4 minutes until sauce starts to thicken. Add half and half and continue cooking for 2 to 3 minutes. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and whisk until combined.

4. Drop thyme sprigs into sauce and transfer chicken back into the skillet, nestling among garlic cloves. Place skillet into preheated oven and bake uncovered for 30 minutes.

5. Remove chicken and all but 10 of the garlic cloves from the skillet. With a fork mash the 10 garlic cloves into the sauce and whisk until smooth. Transfer chicken back into the sauce. Add as many of the reserved cloves of garlic as you like back into the skillet. Serve immediately with rice, mashed potatoes, or salad greens.