Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic

Starts with....



and ends up looking like...



Probably one of the best things I have ever eaten. Specifically, the sauce was so good, I could have eaten it BY ITSELF out of the pan with a spoon. YUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM.

Here is the recipe:

Barefoot Contessa Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic

3 whole heads garlic, about 40 cloves
2 (3 1/2-pound) chickens, cut into eighths
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
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons heavy cream

Separate the cloves of garlic and drop them into a pot of boiling water for 60 seconds. Drain the garlic and peel. Set aside.

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. 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. 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.

The only difference between this recipe and the one I made was that I used no wine or cognac. I used all chicken broth instead. It was absolutely amazing. I don't know if the heavy cream is needed at the end, but it sure tasted good. Oh, and I just used 3 split chicken breasts instead of 2 whole chickens cut up. It made a lot of sauce for only 3 pieces of chicken, but since the sauce was so good, we didn't mind. =)

I made couscous with it, but I wasn't so crazy about that part of the meal. I don't know if it was what I did, or what. I think I might make some wild rice with it next time.

I have been trying to figure out what kind of food mill to buy. I don't know anything about them, other than I want one, so if anyone has any advice, feel free to share with me!!