When I was in college, I worked at a French restaurant that served this dish. I would sneak into the kitchen whenever I could, and watch the chef making it so that I could try it myself, at home. Don’t let the amount of garlic frighten you: it all cooks down to a sweet, savory, magical concoction.
Chicken with 100 Cloves of Garlic
Serves 4 // 653 calories, 5 net carbs
100 garlic cloves, peeled (about 8-10 bulbs)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 (3-4 lb.) pasture-raised chicken
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup dry vermouth
3/4 cup pasture-raised chicken bone broth
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, minced (or 1 teaspoon dried)
Small drizzle, truffle oil (optional)
To peel the garlic cloves, separate all the cloves from the garlic bulb. Lay the flat side of a chef’s knife against a clove and tap it sharply with your fist, then remove the loosened skin. Repeat.
Heat oven to 350°. Heat oil in a 6-qt. Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper; add to pot and cook, turning once, until browned, about 15 minutes. Transfer to an 8″ x 8″ baking dish; set aside. Add garlic to pot; cook until browned in spots, about 6 minutes. Add vermouth; cook, scraping bottom of pot, until slightly reduced, about 2 minutes. Add stock; boil. Transfer thyme and 1⁄4 of the garlic to baking dish; mash remaining into the stock. Pour over chicken; bake until chicken is glazed and tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Garnish with truffle oil, if desired.
Serve with mashed cauliflower and fresh spinach sautéed in olive oil with a few cloves of garlic, and finished with a squeeze of lemon and sea salt.