Garlic-Braised Chicken

By Eric Kim

Published October 27, 2021

  • Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
1 hour 15 minutes
Rating
4(2,181)
Comments
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“It’s the only place where you can find a giant vat of peeled garlic, because it’s the only place that truly understands how much garlic you’ll need for the kind of food your people eat,” Michelle Zauner writes about the supermarket H Mart in her memoir, “Crying in H Mart.” Thankfully, many other grocery stores now sell containers of peeled garlic cloves. If you don’t already buy those, then this recipe is a great reason to start. Chicken thighs, white pepper, chardonnay and 20 garlic cloves are all you need for this zinger of a one-pot meal, which braises in an hour. In that time, chicken fat, wine and water turn into a luscious sauce packed with garlicky redolence. The white pepper, musky and full of earthiness, is a key taste here, so don’t skip it.

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Ingredients

Yield:2 to 4 servings

  • Olive oil

  • 2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 4)

  • Salt

  • 20 peeled garlic cloves

  • ¾ teaspoon ground white pepper

  • 1 cup dry chardonnay

  • Steamed white rice, for serving

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (2 to 4 servings)

18 grams carbs; 222 milligrams cholesterol; 664 calories; 19 grams monosaturated fat; 8 grams polyunsaturated fat; 11 grams saturated fat; 42 grams fat; 1 gram fiber; 798 milligrams sodium; 39 grams protein; 1 gram sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat oven to 350 degrees.

  2. Step 2

    In a large Dutch oven over medium-high, add enough oil to lightly coat the bottom. Season the chicken with salt on both sides, then add to the pot skin side down. Cook until the skin turns golden and crispy, 8 to 10 minutes. If the skin browns too quickly, lower the heat. Flip, and sear the other side briefly, about 1 minute. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.

  3. Step 3

    Add the garlic to the schmaltzy oil over medium-high, and stir until fragrant and very lightly golden at the edges, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the white pepper, then immediately add the wine and 1 cup water. Scrape up any stuck-on bits from the bottom of the pot while bringing the liquid to a simmer. Nestle the chicken in the pot skin side up, cover and cook in the oven until the chicken and garlic are meltingly tender, and the wine has reduced, about 1 hour. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt if needed. Serve with rice.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
2,181 user ratings
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Comments

Suri

As an Italian, I can appreciate the H-Mart pre-peeled garlic is convenient, but pre-peeled garlic is so poor in flavor compared to freshly-peeled. Yes, it's a bit of extra work, but isn't food is worth it? And the tip to pop the cloves into a stainless steel bowl with a lid and shake can produce dozens of easily-peelable cloves in less than a minute.

jeff

Medium high with a coating of oil. Let it get hot enough so that when you put the chicken in it sizzles, then wait. WAIT. Don’t mess with the chicken until at least 7 minutes have passed. Then try to lift one. If it doesn’t lift easily, wait. I’ve always been impatient and that’s my downfall. Also used 1 tsp of white pepper. The 1 hour renders the fat, water and wine into a velvety sauce. But, I admit I added 1 tbs butter to 1/2 of it just to see. . . . I liked the addition. Your mileage may var

Susan Ford

They may be cooked after 25 minutes, but they become meltingly tender after an hour, and a lot of the fat renders into the sauce.

Justin

This is a dud. Essentially plain chicken boiled in water. Devoid of flavor. Add parsley, sage, thyme, carrots, celery, onion, and reduce the sauce and its probably ok.

Nick F.

I don't see 1 cup of water in the list of ingredients, as is required along with with cup of chardonnay in step 3. I don't know if this was an oversight, or perhaps water is not included in the ingredient lists by NYT Cooking. However, it seems to me that it is helpful to include the water in the ingredient list to ensure that it's not missed during the preparation.

Richard X

Water is not included in lists of ingredients because it is assumed that everyone has water. NYT Cooking is not alone in this regard; I would say it is universal.

Nancy

Hand off time makes it easy. I removed the cover ( as per comments) for the last 20 mins so it wasn’t too soupy. Next time I will try cooking the rice in the same pot

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