40 Clove Chicken

A rustic French braise of chicken thighs cooked with a full forty cloves of garlic. Slow, gentle cooking mellows the garlic completely, turning it soft, sweet, and spreadable — no longer a background aromatic but the heart of the dish, melting into a mellow sauce for the tender chicken.

After braising, the garlic turns soft, sweet, and spreadable.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
• Salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 40 garlic cloves, peeled (about 3–4 heads)
• ½ cup dry white wine
• ½ cup chicken stock
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 tablespoon butter (optional, for finishing)

Braising

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The Most Forgiving Way to Cook Meat→

Method

Brown the chicken

Heat the oven to 325°F and season the chicken with salt and pepper. Brown it skin-side down in olive oil in a heavy pot until golden, about 6 minutes, then flip and brown the other side. Remove and set aside.

Build the braise

Add the garlic cloves to the pot and cook gently over low heat, stirring occasionally, until lightly golden, about 5 minutes — don't let them brown too far or they'll turn bitter. Add the wine and let it bubble for a minute, scraping up any browned bits, then return the chicken to the pot and add the stock and thyme.

Braise and finish

Bring to a simmer, press a sheet of aluminum foil over the top of the pot, set the lid on top, and transfer to the oven for 1 hour 15 minutes, until the chicken is tender and the garlic is soft enough to mash. Remove the chicken and, if desired, mash some of the garlic into the sauce to thicken it and whisk in the butter. Serve the chicken with the garlic and sauce spooned over.