After World War II, Elizabeth David, a formidable presence in British food circles, chronicled foods in post-war England, France and Italy. To the astonishment of the Brits, she reported that the poorest peasants in France and Italy dined more deliciously and well than the middle-class Englishman.
She made it her culinary mission to introduce this manner of cooking to Great Britain. This new way of cooking eventually paved the way for “gastro-pubs” in the United Kingdom. Bistro cooking is simple, flavorful, and forgiving. It is home cooking done well. It is relatively straightforward to prepare and can be “stretched” easily. The cooking is typically slow, so timing is not critical.
This is a world of delicious cuisine that is overshadowed by the “Continental Cuisine” of Michelin starred establishments. It is generally well balanced because fresh vegetables, grains and beans play a crucial role in most dishes. Fresh produce is used, most often from the local farmer or produce stand, so food is highly seasonal. Foods are presented with sauces, but the sauces are typically just a part of the dish, produced naturally as part of the cooking process. Presentations are simple, never contrived.
The recipe this week has quite a startling name. It shows up in such august tomes as “The French Chef” by my own culinary heroine, Julia Child, “Greatest 100 International Recipes” by James Beard, and most recently by Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa of the Food Network in her latest book, “Barefoot in Paris.”
This dish has the astonishing and thought-provoking title of “Chicken with Forty Cloves of Garlic,” a name which would make most Americans nervous. This dish originated in the day when an old hen had outlived her laying capacity. The old girl had been seasoned internally by lots of insects and worms throughout her life and sported a delicious layer of fat. Cooking her gently with herbs, wine, butter and three heads garlic would render her delectable. Cooking the garlic whole leaves it buttery and sweet, and as Julia said “still kissable.” Serving it with smashed red potatoes makes sopping up the gravy even more delicious.
On behalf of all the French people who knew the secret to cooking an old chicken with loads of garlic, I wish you a good meal and Bon Appetit!
Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic
(Serves 8)
• About 7 pounds of chicken thighs, bone-in (my choice, an 8-piece cut whole chicken can be used)
• 3 whole heads of garlic, about 40 cloves
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons good olive oil
• 3 tablespoons Cognac, divided
• 1 1/2 cups dry white wine - or chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves or 2 tsp. whole leaf dried thyme
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
Separate the cloves of garlic by covering the head of garlic with a kitchen towel and hitting it sharply with the heel of your hand. This should encourage the individual cloves to break apart. Drop the cloves into a pot of boiling water for 60 seconds. Drain the garlic and cool. The garlic skins should slide right off.
Dry the chicken with paper towels. Season liberally with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat the butter and oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. In batches, saute the chicken in the fat, skin side down first, until nicely browned, about 3 to 5 minutes on each side. Add additional butter and oil if needed. Turn with tongs or a spatula; you don't want to pierce the skin with a fork. If the fat is burning, turn the heat down to medium. When a batch is done, transfer it to a plate and continue to saute all the chicken in batches. Remove the last chicken to the plate and add all of the garlic to the pot. Lower the heat and saute for 5 to 10 minutes, turning often, until evenly browned. Be extremely careful the garlic doesn't burn. Add 2 tablespoons of the Cognac and the wine, return to a boil, and scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Return the chicken to the pot with the juices and sprinkle with the thyme leaves. Cover and simmer over the lowest heat for about 30 minutes, until all the chicken is done.
Remove the chicken to a platter and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm. In a small bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup of the sauce and the flour and then whisk it back into the sauce in the pot. Raise the heat, add the remaining tablespoon of Cognac and the cream, and boil for 3 minutes. Add salt and pepper, to taste; it should be very flavorful because chicken tends to be bland. Pour the sauce and the garlic over the chicken and serve hot. n
Fran Ginn is former chef/owner of The Back Door Café, who retired after 31 years in the food industry to be a grandmother. She can be contacted at fran@franginn.com.
