Chicken and Turbans

Shumon was joining for dinner. We decided to cook with Barbara an old stand by: James Beard's Chicken With 40 Cloves of Garlic from a recipe in the New York Times. I probably haven’t made this in 20 years. The obvious joke is that with cooking the Garlic looses it pungency and 40 cloves of garlic are quite acceptable in mixed company.

To start we had an Arugula Salad with Dates and Parmesan Cheese. I like this salad, it is very tasty with the sweetness of the Dates and the tanginess of the Arugula. It is a nice contrast.

With the Chicken we made Potato-Parsnip Puree from the Food of Campanile Mark Peel & Nancy Silverton. This is a rich mashed potato Puree. The parsnips make it special. The recipe can be found on our blog of: May 10, 2009. Click the date to get the recipe.

Shumon insisted on wearing a turban that he wrapped around his head. It must have been the effect of the garlic.

New York Times

James Beard's Chicken With 40 Cloves of Garlic

By MOLLY O'NEILL

INGREDIENTS

                  4 ribs of celery, cut into long strips

                  2 medium-size onions, coarsely chopped

                  6 sprigs parsley

                  1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon

                  2/3 cup vegetable oil

                  16 chicken legs, any mix of drumsticks and thighs

                  1/2 cup dry vermouth

                  2 1/2 teaspoons salt

                  1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

                  Freshly grated nutmeg

                  40 cloves garlic, unpeeled

                  French bread for serving

PREPARATION

1.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cover the bottom of a heavy 6-quart casserole with the celery and onions and add the parsley and tarragon. Place the oil in a shallow dish. Dip the chicken pieces into the oil, coat all sides evenly and place in the casserole. Pour the vermouth over the chicken and sprinkle with the salt, pepper and a few gratings of nutmeg. Tuck the garlic around and between the chicken pieces.

2.

Cover the top of the casserole tightly with aluminum foil and fit the lid over the foil to create an airtight seal. Bake for 1 1/3 hours without removing the cover. Check for doneness; return casserole to the oven if the chicken seems underdone. Serve the chicken along with the pan juices, the garlic and thin slices of heated French bread spread with garlic squeezed from the root end of the clove.

YIELD

8 servings