Chef Ally
Beef Bourguignon
Humble beef transformed by good red wine, patience, and the kind of slow cooking that fills a house with warmth and brings everyone to the table asking when dinner will be ready.
Culinary Explorer
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Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic
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A whole chicken nestled among forty cloves of garlic, braised until the meat falls from the bone and the garlic becomes a sweet, spreadable treasure you will fight over at the table.
Main Dishes
French
Dinner Party
Make Ahead
25 min
Active Time
1 hr 45 min cook•2 hr 10 min total
Yield4-6 servings
Forty cloves sounds like madness until you understand what heat does to garlic. Raw, it bites. Braised for an hour and a half, it surrenders entirely, turning soft as butter and sweet as roasted chestnuts. This is the alchemy at the heart of French provincial cooking.
The dish comes from Provence, where garlic grows in abundance and cooks learned centuries ago that you cannot have too much of a good thing. The cloves braise in the chicken's own juices, protected by their papery skins, emerging so tender you can spread them on crusty bread like jam. The chicken absorbs that gentle perfume, and the pan juices become something you will want to drink.
Start with a good bird. A pastured chicken from a farmer you trust will taste like chicken in a way that reminds you why this humble ingredient anchors so many cuisines. The garlic should be firm and heavy, with tight skin and no green shoots. If your garlic is sprouting, it has been sitting too long. Find better garlic.
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Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
whole chicken
Quantity
1 (3 1/2 to 4 pounds)
cut into 8 pieces
garlic cloves
Quantity
40 (about 3-4 heads)
unpeeled
extra-virgin olive oil
Quantity
3 tablespoons
fine sea salt
Quantity
1 teaspoon, plus more for seasoning
black pepper
Quantity
to taste
freshly ground
fresh thyme
Quantity
6 sprigs
fresh rosemary
Quantity
2 sprigs
bay leaves
Quantity
2
dry white wine or dry vermouth
Quantity
1/2 cup
chicken stock
Quantity
1 cup
preferably homemade
crusty bread
Quantity
for serving
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| whole chickencut into 8 pieces | 1 (3 1/2 to 4 pounds) |
| garlic clovesunpeeled | 40 (about 3-4 heads) |
| extra-virgin olive oil | 3 tablespoons |
| fine sea salt | 1 teaspoon, plus more for seasoning |
| black pepperfreshly ground | to taste |
| fresh thyme | 6 sprigs |
| fresh rosemary | 2 sprigs |
| bay leaves | 2 |
| dry white wine or dry vermouth | 1/2 cup |
| chicken stockpreferably homemade | 1 cup |
| crusty bread | for serving |
Equipment Needed
- •Large Dutch oven orheavy braising pot with lid (5-7 quart)
- •Tongs for turning chicken
- •Instant-read thermometer (optional, for checking doneness)
Instructions
- 1
Prepare the garlic
Separate the garlic heads into individual cloves but do not peel them. The papery skins protect the garlic during braising, keeping the flesh intact while it softens. Trim any dried root ends. You want forty cloves, give or take. Counting is part of the ritual.
Choose heads that feel heavy and firm. Lightweight garlic has dried out. If cloves have green shoots emerging, the garlic is old and will taste bitter. - 2
Season the chicken
Pat the chicken pieces completely dry with paper towels. Wet skin will not brown. Season generously on all sides with salt and pepper, pressing the seasoning into the flesh. Let the pieces sit at room temperature while your oven heats.
- 3
Brown the chicken
Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy braising pot over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Working in batches to avoid crowding, brown the chicken pieces skin-side down until deeply golden, about five minutes per side. The color you achieve now is the color you keep. Transfer to a plate as pieces finish.
Do not move the chicken once it hits the pan. Let it develop a crust before turning. If it sticks, it is not ready. - 4
Build the braise
Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Pour off all but two tablespoons of fat from the pot. Add the garlic cloves and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and lightly golden in spots, about three minutes. Add the wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. These fond bits are pure flavor. Let the wine bubble for one minute.
- 5
Nestle and braise
Return the chicken pieces to the pot, nestling them among the garlic. Tuck the thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves around the meat. Pour in the chicken stock. The liquid should come about halfway up the chicken pieces. Bring to a gentle simmer, then cover with a tight-fitting lid.
- 6
Slow cook until tender
Transfer the covered pot to your oven. Braise for one hour and fifteen minutes to one hour and thirty minutes, until the chicken is completely tender and pulling from the bone, and the garlic yields easily when pressed with a spoon. The low heat transforms the garlic from pungent to sweet.
- 7
Rest and serve
Remove the pot from the oven and let it rest, covered, for ten minutes. The juices will redistribute and the temperature will even out. Taste the pan juices and adjust salt as needed. Serve the chicken and garlic directly from the pot, or transfer to a warm platter. Spoon the fragrant juices over everything.
Put a bowl on the table for the empty garlic skins. Teach your guests to squeeze the soft cloves onto bread and spread them like butter.
Chef Tips
- •Seek out a pastured chicken from a farm you trust. The difference in flavor between a bird that lived well and one that did not is unmistakable. Your farmer's market is the place to start.
- •Do not peel the garlic. The skins act as little jackets, steaming the cloves gently inside. The garlic slips out easily once cooked, and your guests will enjoy the ritual of squeezing each clove.
- •This dish improves overnight. Make it a day ahead, refrigerate, then gently reheat. The flavors deepen and meld in ways that fresh-from-the-oven cannot match.
- •Spread the soft garlic on crusty bread and top with a drizzle of good olive oil and flaky salt. This may be the best part of the meal.
- •Save any leftover pan juices. Thinned with a little stock, they make a remarkable sauce for pasta the next day.
Advance Preparation
- •The entire dish can be made one to two days ahead and refrigerated. The fat will solidify on top, which you can remove or leave for reheating. Warm gently over low heat until heated through.
- •The garlic can be separated from its heads several hours ahead. Store unpeeled cloves in a covered bowl at room temperature.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 220g)
Calories
555 calories
Total Fat
36 g
Saturated Fat
9 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
26 g
Cholesterol
155 mg
Sodium
655 mg
Total Carbohydrates
8 g
Dietary Fiber
1 g
Sugars
0 g
Protein
38 g
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