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Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic

Don't be intimidated by the thought of 40 cloves of garlic. Use the trick I mentioned above and buy already peeled cloves, and know that as they cook, they become nutty and rich, no longer harsh and bitter. Also, regarding the whiskey, you can really use any brown liquor you have in the house, as long as it's fairly neutral. For me, I wouldn't want a peaty scotch or something like that. I keep a bottle of Seagrams 7 in the cupboard, mostly for cooking.
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: French
Servings: 6
Author: Adapted from Ina Garten

Ingredients

  • 40 cloves of garlic
  • 8 - 10 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
  • kosher salt
  • freshly ground pepper
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons whiskey, divided see headnote
  • 1 1/2 cups dry white wine
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons heavy cream

Instructions

  • Pat the chicken pieces dry with paper towels. Season generously all over with salt and pepper. Heat the butter and oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Working in batches, brown the chicken on both sides. When the thighs are golden brown, remove them to a plate and continue with the rest. This should take about 5 minutes per side.
    Remove the last of the chicken to the plate and put all of the garlic in the pot. Lower the heat and saute for 5 to 10 minutes, until the cloves are golden brown on both sides. Be careful not to let them burn. The add 2 tablespoons of the whiskey and all of the wine, turn up the heat and bring to a boil, and scrape up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Return all of the chicken to the pot along with any juices that have accumulated on the plate. Sprinkle in the thyme leaves. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for about 30 minutes, until all of the chicken is done.
    Remove the chicken to a platter and cover to keep warm. Scoop out about 1/2 a cup of the sauce from the pot and put it in a small bowl. Add the flour and whisk together. Then put this mixture back in the pot with the rest of the sauce and whisk to incorporate. Raise the heat to medium-high, add the remaining whiskey and the cream and bring to a strong simmer. Let simmer for about 3 minutes, to bring it all together and thicken a bit. Season generously with salt and pepper, then pour the sauce and the garlic over the chicken and serve hot.