Meat mains
Chicken with 40 cloves of garlic
This is an incredibly simple, satisfying recipe for roast chicken and intense, melting, mellow roast garlic. It only requires 15 minutes of prep and is fantastic for both a busy work night and a dinner party. You could save time by starting with a jointed chicken, or just thighs or breasts. Serve with a green salad and baguette to mop up the juices and squeeze out the garlic onto, or with boiled or mashed potatoes.
Cook's notes
40 cloves of garlic also lend themselves well to a good piece of roasted lamb. Try punctuating the lamb with some anchovies; cook the garlic as in the recipe above and substitute the thyme for lots of rosemary.
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken
- 100 ml olive oil
- 3 garlic heads
- 4 large onions, thinly sliced
- 1 sprig thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 200g black olives
- salt and pepper
Method
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Step 1
Preheat oven to 220°C/Gas 7.
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Step 2
Joint the chicken into thighs, drumsticks and on the bone breast (cut in half).
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Step 3
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a heavy pan and brown the chicken pieces. Remove and set aside.
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Step 4
Separate the garlic heads, removing any papery outside leaves and thinly slice the onions.
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Step 5
Mix the onions and garlic together and spread in a heavy casserole dish. Add the thyme, bay leaves and chicken pieces. Season and add the rest of the oil. Lid and bakefor 30 minutes.
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Step 6
Remove the chicken, garlic and onions with a slotted spoon. Pour out any surplus oil, return the onion and garlic and caramelise over a high heat.
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Step 7
A minute before serving, add the olives. Check the seasoning and serve. You will never have tasted garlic like it.
