Chicken With Forty Cloves of Garlic
From Chef David Waltuck “Staff Meals from Chanterelle”
This chicken classic is a tribute to the transformational power of
heat. Although raw garlic is pungent and aggressive, slow-roasted
garlic is the complete opposite—it’s gloriously sweet and mellow. When
this dish comes out of the oven, each buttery-soft glove has become a
subtle complement to the perfectly roasted chicken.
Ingredients:
(Serves 6 to 8)
- 2 chickens (3 to 3 ½ pounds each)
- 2 tablespoons rendered chicken fat or unsalted butter
- Coarse (kosher) salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
6 heads garlic, blanched and peeled (see below)
2 cups dry white wine
2 cups Chicken Stock or canned low sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
Preparation:
1. Preheat the oven to 450° F.
2. Rinse the chickens, inside and out, under cold running water,
removing any excess fat. Pat dry with paper towels. If you wish, tuck
the wing tips under the second joints and tie the legs together with
butcher’s twine.
3. Rub the chickens all over with the chicken fat or butter and
sprinkle, inside and out, with salt and pepper. Place the birds in a
flameproof roasting pan that can hold them with a little extra room to
spare. Roast for 30 minutes, boasting occasionally with pan drippings.
4. Add the garlic to the roasting pan, then reduce the oven
temperature to 400° F and continue roasting for 15 to 20 minutes more,
basting and stirring up the garlic cloves occasionally.
5. Add the wine to the roasting pan and continue roasting the
chickens until they’re just done (a thigh pricked with a fork will
release clear juices), 15 to 20 minutes more. Transfer the chickens to
a platter and keep warm, covered loosely with aluminum foil, while you
prepare the sauce.
6. Put the roasting pan containing the garlic and cooking liquid on
the top of the stove, over two burners, if possible. Add the chicken
stock and bring to a boil over high heat, scraping up the browned bits
on the bottom of the pan. Cook until the liquid is reduced by about
half, 10 minutes. Add the lemon juice and swirl in the butter until
melted and incorporated. The sauce should thicken enough to coat the
back of a spoon. Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper.
7. To serve, cut the chickens into serving pieces and pour the sauce and garlic cloves over them.
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