Oven-Roasted Chicken with Forty Garlic Cloves
Yes, that's right - 40 garlic cloves, about four heads of garlic! Try to use large, plump, fresh heads. Best-ever chicken guaranteed! After two hours of slow roasting, the chicken is fragrant and melt-in-the-mouth tender, and the roasted cloves of garlic are a sublime spread on toasted crusty bread. This aromatic Provencale dish cooks the garlic to a soft puree that is sweet, nutty and socially acceptable the morning after. My family has been enjoying this for years, and they think I put a lot of work into it. But instead, for two hours you can put your feet up!
Yes, that's right - 40 garlic cloves, about four heads of garlic! Try to use large, plump, fresh heads. Best-ever chicken guaranteed! After two hours of slow roasting, the chicken is fragrant and melt-in-the-mouth tender, and the roasted cloves of garlic are a sublime spread on toasted crusty bread. This aromatic Provencale dish cooks the garlic to a soft puree that is sweet, nutty and socially acceptable the morning after. My family has been enjoying this for years, and they think I put a lot of work into it. But instead, for two hours you can put your feet up!
- Carbohydrate 25.8398550193526 g
- Cholesterol 369.6 mg
- Fat 90.3623996877485 g
- Fiber 2.08267496332454 g
- Protein 95.0949300026198 g
- Saturated Fat 23.3281934612737 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (595g)
- Sodium 386.612750000507 mg
- Sugar 23.7571800560281 g
- Trans Fat 6.84229042992929 g
- Calories 1314 calories
Step-by-step
- WASH and clean the inside cavity of each chicken, and pat dry with absorbent paper.
- Rub oil over each chicken. Season each generously with salt and pepper, using your hands to rub the seasoning thoroughly over the chicken.
- Tuck the wing tips under the chicken, place a few lemon slices inside the cavity of each chicken, followed by sprigs of herbs.
- Tie the legs together with kitchen string.
- Place the chickens side by side in a deep casserole dish (one with a tight fitting lid).
- See note:
- Twist the central stalk of the garlic heads to loosen the cloves, rub away any loose papery skin but don't peel the cloves.
- Sprinkle cloves around the chickens, add remaining lemon slices and sprigs of herbs, and drizzle with extra olive oil.
- Note: If you do not have a tight fitting lid use sealing paste.
- TO MAKE SEALING PASTE blend flour with combined oil and water to form a dough-like paste. With your fingers, spread the paste around the edge of the casserole dish and gently press the lid over the paste.
- COOK the chicken in a moderately slow 160c oven for 2 hours. Do not remove the lid.
- A green salad is all you need as an accompaniment.
Managing the Seal at 160°C
Two hours in a moderately slow 160°C oven without lifting the lid creates intense internal steam pressure that will force dry air into your vessel if the seal fails, ruining the delicate moisture balance required for the meat. Standard casserole lids often leak vapor during long braises, which is why the original method includes a flour-and-water dough paste to lute the rim shut. If your Dutch oven features a heavy, tightly ground heavy iron cover that seats securely on its own, skip the paste entirely. Otherwise, mix equal parts flour and water to form a pliable band that locks the moisture inside the vessel permanently.
Handling the Unpeeled Garlic Cloves
Dropping forty unpeeled cloves directly into the roasting vessel sounds like an invitation to bitter oils, but extended gentle heat breaks down the harsh allicin compounds into a sweet, nutty purée. Rub away only the outermost loose papery layers while keeping the individual skins intact so the cloves do not dissolve into a gritty sludge. Once roasted until completely soft, squeeze the creamy pulp directly from their skins onto crusty bread.
Storage and Reheating Physics
Leftovers keep safely in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days, though the rendered fats solidify heavily around the poultry. Reheat portions gently on the stovetop over low heat with a splash of water to reconstitute the pan sauce without overcooking the delicate protein.
