40 Cloves of Garlic Chicken

 

Does 40 cloves of garlic sound excessive?  I don't know...maybe to normal people?  I don't think there's such a thing as too much garlic.  This recipe calls for 40 cloves, but I usually throw in a few more just for good measure.  The cloves get nice and browned and have an amazing texture and are slightly sweet...it's seriously amazing!  Busy mom hack, grab a bag of peeled whole garlic at the grocery store.  I get mine at Costco but I've seen them at Aldi too.  I'm sure wherever you shop has them.  It's a HUGE time saver.  Also, the Rosemary is SO GOOD but if you have everything else except for fresh Rosemary sprigs, just leave them out.  But get them for the next time you make it.  

1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

8 bone in, skin on chicken thighs

Himalayan Pink Salt or Sea Salt and ground black pepper

40 cloves (*cough cough or more*) of garlic, peeled but left whole

1 cup chicken broth

6 fresh Rosemary Sprigs

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Heat a large, heavy bottomed skillet (I use my largest cast iron) over medium heat and add the olive oil.  Season the chicken liberally with salt and pepper.

Working in batches (don't crowd them) add the chicken to the skillet, skin side down.  Allow to cook until the skin is golden brown, about 6 minutes.  Flip the chicken over and cook an additional 6 minutes.  

Once you've cooked the chicken 6 minutes per side, place the thighs in a 9x13 baking dish.  Do not wipe the skillet!  Keep all of the oil and chicken drippings in the skillet over medium-high heat.  

Toss the garlic into the skillet and cook, stirring or shaking the pan often until the cloves have started to turn a golden brown, 3-4 minutes.  Do not scorch!  Burnt garlic is awful.  You're looking for a nice, golden color.  Once the garlic is done, use a slotted spoon and scatter them as evenly as possible over the chicken thighs.  Keep the pan on medium-high heat.

Carefully add the broth to the hot pan, making sure you stir and scrape up all of those delicious browned bits on the bottom of the skillet.  Cook until the liquid reduces by half, 2-3 minutes.  My reduced liquid is always very salty so I don't add any additional salt or pepper.  However, if you need more salt or pepper, add it now.

Carefully pour the sauce all over the chicken and garlic.  Place the Rosemary sprigs all over the top of the thighs.

Put the chicken in the oven and roast for 35-55 minutes, depending on the size of your thighs and if you cooked them the full 6 minutes per side in the skillet.  35 minutes is usually plenty but check the internal temp.  Once you've reached 165 degrees Fahrenheit on a meat thermometer, you're done!

Let the chicken rest for a couple of minutes before serving.  Make sure everyone gets a healthy helping of those delicious garlic cloves and a generous drizzle of the sauce.  I love to serve this with some sautéed yellow squash and zucchini and a big salad.