Chicken Braised with Forty Cloves of Garlic

This week I harvested 50 heads of garlic from my tiny yard, which were planted two inches deep and six inches apart in September of 2011. It pains me to see garlic for sale in the grocery stores these days. Upon closer inspection, the packages are marked "Product of China".  I've been growing my own garlic here in the Northeast USA for many years now and it's the easiest and most reliable, pest free edible thing I've ever attempted to grow.


Plucking them out of the ground is my single most satisfying garden activity.  I lay them side by side on the lawn and rinse them with a hose; then arrange them in size escalating order and place them out in the sun to dry for a day or two.  Using a bit of rope, the bundle is tied and hung in the kitchen, where they keep all winter and into the spring.  Not only are they decorative, but I love to cook and snip off heads from the bunch as needed.

I don't know exactly what cultivar my Hardnecks are... and if anyone out there could identify them by this photo, I would be delighted.  Several years ago, someone gave me a few heads tied in a ribbon as a hostess gift. Rather than eat them, I carefully popped the cloves off the stem and planted them just to see what would happen.  They were prolific !  Every September since then, I choose 50 large cloves for replanting, which provides me enough to use and give away to friends.

 The history of garlic is surprising and fascinating.  They are actually a Lily bulb originally found to be growing in the Caucasus Mountains region in Russia.  www.gourmetgarlicgardens.com has much in depth information about this living entity; history, growing and harvesting tips, health benefits and  specified cultivars for you to enjoy.

What to do with all this garlic ?  Invite friends upstate for the weekend and make the following recipe from  THE WONDERFUL FOOD OF PROVENCE, by Jean-Noel Escudier and Peta J. Fuller.  Don't blame me, however, when you discover that you and your guests will reek the same for  days to come !
{ Sheweee ! }

Chicken Braised with Forty Cloves of Garlic { Poulet aux Quarante Gousses d'Ail }

I've gotten lazy with this recipe and have simply chopped and tossed the herbs, { with the exception to the Bay Leaf, of course, which should always be left whole }, into the chicken and mixed them in with the garlic and oil with excellent results.

• One  Roasting Chicken
• Salt  and  Pepper
  
• One  Small Bouquet Garni of fresh Parsley, Thyme and a Bay leaf
• One  Cup Olive Oil
• 40     Unpeeled Garlic Cloves
• One  Large Bouquet Garni of fresh Rosemary, Thyme, Sage, Parsley and a Bay Leaf wrapped in a folded rib of Celery
• CROUTONS made from 6 to 8 slices of firm white bread with crust removed, sliced diagonally into triangles and browned in Olive Oil.

Season inside of the Chicken with Salt and Pepper.
Place Small Bouquet Garni in cavity and truss bird.
Put Olive Oil into heatproof casserole with Garlic Cloves and Large Bouquet Garni.
Place the Chicken in the casserole and turn it several times so that it is well coated with the oil.
Put a tight lid on it and Bake @ 325 degrees F, { 160 degrees C. }, for about  1 1/2  Hours or more.
Transfer the casserole to the table and remove lid just prior to serving to release the delicious aroma.
Serve with Croutons and allow each person to spread his crouton with garlic squeezed from the skins.
FANTASTIQUE  and  well worth the smell  !!!

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