Chicken with Forty Cloves of Garlic Recipe

Ingredients :

Serves 6

• 5-6 whole heads of garlic

• 45ml / 3 tbsp olive oil

• 1.8-2kg / 4-4½lb chicken

• 150g / 5oz / 1¼ cups plain (all-purpose) flour, plus 5ml/1 tsp

• 75ml / 5 tbsp white port or other white, fortified wine

• 2-3 fresh tarragon or rosemary

• sprigs few drops of lemon juice (optional)

• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method :

1. Separate three of the heads of garlic into individual cloves and peel them. Remove the first layer of papery skin from the remaining heads of garlic and cut off the tops to expose the cloves, if you like, or alternatively leave them whole. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4.

2. Heat the olive oil in a flameproof casserole or ovenproof pan that is just large enough to take the chicken and the garlic. Add the chicken and cook over a medium heat, turning frequently, for 10-15 minutes, until it is browned on all sides.

3. Sprinkle 5ml / 1 tsp flour into the casserole or pan and cook for a further 1 minute. Add the port or fortified wine. Tuck in the heads of garlic and the peeled cloves with the herb sprigs. Pour over the remaining oil and season.

4. Mix the main batch of flour with water to make a firm dough. Roll into a long sausage and press it around the rim of the casserole, then press on the lid, folding the dough over to create a seal. Roast the chicken and garlic for 1½ hours.

5. To serve, lift off the lid to break the seal and remove the chicken and whole garlic to a serving platter and keep warm.

6. Remove and discard the herb sprigs, then place the casserole on the hob and whisk to combine the peeled garlic cloves with the juices. Add a little lemon juice to taste. Pour the sauce into a food processor or blender and process until smooth. Alternatively, press through a strainer for a smoother result. Serve the sauce with the chicken.

Nutritional Facts :

Per portion :

Energy  468kcals/1946kJ

Protein   32.5g

Fat, total   32g

   saturated fat   10.6g

Carbohydrate   8.8g

   of which sugars   1.9g

Fiber   0.3g