Chicken With 40 Cloves of Garlic
Published October 22, 1991
Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
- Total Time
- 1 hour 40 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
⅔ cup olive oil
8 chicken drumsticks
8 chicken thighs
4 celery ribs, cut into 4 inch-long strips
2 cups chopped onion
6 parsley sprigs
1 teaspoon dried tarragon
½ cup dry vermouth
2 ½ teaspoons salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
dash grated nutmeg
40 cloves garlic, unpeeled
Freshly sliced French bread
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 to 8 servings)
10 grams carbs; 312 milligrams cholesterol; 854 calories; 31 grams monosaturated fat; 11 grams polyunsaturated fat; 15 grams saturated fat; 62 grams fat; 1 gram fiber; 1011 milligrams sodium; 58 grams protein; 2 grams 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
- Step 1
Put the oil in a shallow dish and add the chicken pieces; coat evenly with oil.
- Step 2
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Step 3
In a heavy 6-quart casserole, combine the celery, onions, parsley and tarragon. Lay the oiled chicken pieces on top. Pour on the vermouth. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and a dash of nutmeg. Tuck the garlic cloves in and around the chicken pieces. Cover the casserole tightly with aluminum foil, then the lid. Bake 90 minutes without removing the lid.
- Step 4
Serve chicken, pan juices and garlic cloves with French bread. Diners should squeeze the buds of garlic from their husks onto the bread, then spread the garlic like butter.
Private Notes
Comments
Gourmet Magazine ran Julia Child's column From the French Chef's Kitchen - I have the article copyrighted 1974, '40 Cloves of Garlic May Not Be Enough.' Her friend James Beard had come over for dinner and whipped up the dish. The Burros recipe is almost the same except Beard "cut a couple of carrots, four or five celery ribs, and two big yellow onions into long matchsticks." One cup vermouth, and dollop of brandy. 375 oven, 1 1/2 hours. Sublime!
Chicken must be seared first, in order to appear like the photo. Otherwise, the skin turns rather spongey.
I halved the oil (to 1/3 cup), removed the skin from the bone-in thighs and drumsticks, and browned them before assembling the dish and baking it. Absolutely delicious and significantly less fatty and caloric. Accidentally left out the nutmeg — it wasn't missed — but will be sure to add it next time. Oh yes, there will definitely be a next time!
Followed directions closely, served with homemade sourdough bread and noodles to family (3 generations). Flavor was okay but not great, “sauce” is very thin liquid, and everyone agreed I have a better NYT recipe for chicken pieces. Just need to figure out which one! Will not be making again, at least not according to recipe, though must say the long braise delivered very tender chicken.
Try 160 in covered skillet. Don’t forget the brandy and try uncovering for last 10 mins. Also try with peeled garlic.
Delicious and so easy! Have made many renditions of 40 garlic chicken and this is a keeper. We uncovered and set the oven to broil for 5 min at the end to brown up the skin, otherwise followed to a T.