The recipe for Chicken with Forty Cloves of Garlic is from “Barefoot in Paris”.  I absolutely love this cookbook and think I have made each dish from it at least twice.  Every recipe is perfect.

Serves 6

3 whole heads of garlic, about 40 cloves

2(3 1/2-pound) chickens, cut into eighths

Kosher Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 T. unsalted butter

2 T. good olive oil

3 T. cognac, divided

1 1/2 cups dry white wine

1 T. fresh thyme leaves

2 T. all-purpose flour

2 T. heavy cream

Separate the cloves of garlic and drop them into a pot of boiling water for 60 seconds.  Drain the garlic and peel.  Set aside.

Dry the chicken with paper towels.  Season liberally with salt and pepper on both sides.  Heat the butter and oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  In batches, saute the chicken in the fat, skin side down first, until nicely browned, about 3 to 5 minutes on each side.  Turn with tongs or a spatula; you don’t want to pierce the skin with a fork.  If the fat is burning, turn the heat down to medium.  When a batch is done, transfer to a plate and continue to saute all the chicken in batches.  Remove the last chicken to the plate and add all of the garlic to the pot.  Lower the heat and saute for 5 to 10 minutes, turning often, until evenly browned.  Add 2 tablespoons of the Cognac and the wine, return to a boil, and scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pan.  Return the chicken to the pot with the juices and sprinkle with the thyme leaves.  Cover and simmer over the lowest heat for about 30 minutes, until all the chicken is done.

Remove the chicken to a platter and cover with foil to keep warm.  In a small bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup of the sauce and the flour and then whisk it back into the sauce in the pot.  Raise the heat, add the remaining tablespoon of Cognac and the cream, and boil for 3 minutes.  Add salt and pepper to taste; it should be very flavorful because chicken tends to be bland.  Pour the sauce and the garlic over the chicken and serve hot.

This recipe is so great.  The only thing that I do differently is that instead of just adding thyme to the sauce and chicken I use herbs de Provence.  I love the way the fennel, basil, and thyme taste with the sauce.    Try this recipe with a good glass of Pinot Noir.