Slow Cooker Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic

By norsegal8

This classic French braise features tender chicken and sweet (not harsh) garlic. To get these results in the slow cooker, we jump-start the garlic in the microwave with a little sugar to simulate slow-roasted, soft cloves. We brown chicken thighs skin side down to yield flavorful fond and then toast the garlic for more complexity, deglazing with sherry to release more flavor into the braising liquid. The garlic goes into the slow cooker first to ensure that it cooks evenly, to spreadable perfection. We then add the braising liquid and chicken pieces on top of the garlic (above the liquid) so the skin doesn’t get rubbery. After cooking on low for about 3 hours, we finish the braising liquid with lemon juice and parsley for an extra boost of flavor. We like to serve this with crusty bread to sop up the flavorful juices.

Ingredients

• Serves 4 to 6
• 40 garlic cloves, peeled
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 8 (5- to 7-ounce) bone-in chicken thighs, trimmed
• Salt and pepper
• 2/3 cup dry sherry
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• 1 (12-inch) baguette, sliced 3/4 inch thick on bias

Preparation

Step 1

You will need three or four heads of garlic to yield 40 cloves, or you can purchase prepeeled garlic instead. To avoid flareups, be sure to remove the skillet from the heat when adding the sherry. The chicken is only browned on the skin side.

1. Combine garlic, 1 teaspoon oil, and sugar in bowl. Cover and microwave until garlic is translucent and yields slightly when squeezed, about 4 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking. Pour off any liquid from garlic bowl and set garlic aside.

2. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat remaining 1 teaspoon oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Cook chicken skin side down until well browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer chicken to plate, skin side up. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons fat from skillet.

3. Add microwaved garlic to fat in skillet and cook over medium-high heat until lightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Off heat, stir in sherry; return skillet to heat and cook until nearly evaporated, about 4 minutes, scraping up any browned bits. Add broth and thyme sprigs and bring to boil.

4. Transfer garlic-broth mixture to slow cooker. Nestle chicken skin side up on top of garlic cloves (garlic should be completely covered). Cover and cook on low until chicken registers 175 degrees, about 3 hours.

5. Transfer chicken to platter. Discard thyme sprigs; add lemon juice, parsley, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper to sauce. Pour sauce around chicken and serve with baguette slices.

KEY STEPMICROWAVING GARLIC

To make sure they fully soften, we give the garlic cloves a head start by microwaving them briefly before browning them in chicken fat and adding them to the braising liquid.