Joy of Quarantine: Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic (Page 420)

In this case, Chicken with about 20 cloves of garlic. I rationalized that doing only three leg/thigh pieces did not need the full 40.

This has to be one of the easiest recipes ever-- for so little effort it tastes great.

Not 40 Cloves of Garlic

You can use a whole chicken, a cut up chicken or just part of a chicken. I bought a 10 lbs bag of chicken legs and thighs because it is Covid quarantine and why not have a 10 lbs bag of chicken parts on hand. What I didn't realize is it takes several days for a frozen solid chunk of chicken parts to thaw, so if you go this route give it a couple of days in advance to thaw. I used the remaining chicken to make Tandoori bbq chicken, but sadly I did not use the Joy recipe that calls for Fenugreek leaves. (We did not have them on hand, surprisingly.)

Browning

This couldn't be easier to make. Brown the chicken in oil, add the garlic, (the more the merrier with the garlic) some seasonings like thyme and sage, put it in the oven. The recipe calls for turning the oven temperature up midway through with the lid off but you could probably be lazy and not bother and it would be fine. Just make sure you get the chicken cooked all the way through, 165 degrees.

Take the Meat Out and Boil the Juice

As with most things, the gravy is the best part. After taking it out of the oven be sure to boil it on the stove until it reduces. Be sure to mash up some of the cooked garlic and add to the gravy. I took the added step of separating the fat out so that it wasn't too greasy.