Chicken with Forty Cloves of Garlic is a beloved French classic. This Paleo adaptation has become a favorite in my household—its mellow, sweet roasted garlic and rich sauce are easy to love. The garlic is blanched, sautéed and slowly cooked until soft and tender; the cloves nearly melt into the sauce, giving it deep, savory flavor without an overwhelming raw garlic bite. I like serving it with cauliflower rice and spooning some of the sauce over the cauliflower for extra taste. This recipe is a simplified crock pot, Paleo-friendly take on the Ina Garten version, omitting butter, cream and flour.
Ingredients
- 3 whole heads garlic (about 40 cloves)
- 2 chickens (about 3½ lb each), cut into eighths
- Celtic sea salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 3 tablespoons fat (ghee, lard, tallow, or similar)
- 3 tablespoons Cognac
- 1½ cups dry white wine
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- 2 tablespoons arrowroot powder (optional, for thickening)
Instructions
- Separate the garlic cloves but do not peel them. Drop the cloves into a pot of boiling water for 60–90 seconds. Drain, let cool briefly, then peel and set aside.
- Pat the chicken pieces dry and season both sides with salt and pepper. Heat 3 tablespoons of your chosen fat in a large pot over medium-high heat. Sauté the chicken, skin side down first, until browned—about 3 minutes per side.
- As each batch browns, transfer the pieces to a large crock pot and continue browning the remaining chicken until all pieces are seared.
- Place all peeled garlic cloves into the pot with the reserved fat. Reduce the heat and sauté the garlic for about 10 minutes, turning occasionally, until the cloves are evenly cooked and lightly browned.
- Add the Cognac and white wine, bring to a boil, and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan to incorporate their flavor into the sauce.
- Stir in the thyme leaves, then pour the garlic and liquid over the chicken in the crock pot.
- Cook on low for about 6 hours, until the chicken is tender and infused with the garlic-flavored sauce.
- To serve, transfer the chicken to a large platter. Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. If you prefer a thicker sauce, dissolve 2 tablespoons of arrowroot powder in a small amount of cool water and stir it into the sauce at the end—arrowroot thickens best when added after most cooking is done. I often skip thickening because the sauce is flavorful as-is and works well spooned over cauliflower rice.
Alternate Instructions (One-Pot, Same Evening)
If you’d rather finish the dish the same evening without using a crock pot, follow these steps:
- After browning all the chicken, place the finished pieces on a platter and tent with foil to keep warm.
- Add the sautéed garlic, Cognac, wine and thyme back to the pot and simmer the sauce briefly, then return the chicken to the pot and simmer on low for about 30 minutes, or until fully cooked through.
- Remove the chicken to a serving dish. Reduce the sauce to your desired consistency on the stovetop. If you want a velvety texture, purée the garlic into the sauce using an immersion blender. For a thicker finish add arrowroot slurry toward the end of cooking and stir until the sauce thickens.
Bon appétit, mon cavepeople!
Chicken with Forty Cloves of Garlic
- Author: Lea Valle
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 6 hours
- Total Time: 6 hours 30 mins
- Category: Dinner
Ingredients
- 3 whole heads garlic, about 40 cloves
- 2 chickens (3½ lb each), cut into eighths
- Celtic sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons fat (ghee, lard, tallow, etc.)
- 3 tablespoons Cognac
- 1½ cups dry white wine
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- 2 tablespoons arrowroot powder (optional)
Instructions
- Separate the cloves and blanch in boiling water 60–90 seconds. Drain, cool slightly, peel and set aside.
- Dry and season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat fat in a large pot over medium-high and brown the chicken about 3 minutes per side.
- Transfer browned pieces to a crock pot and repeat until all chicken is browned.
- Sauté the peeled garlic in the reserved fat over low heat for about 10 minutes, turning until golden and tender.
- Add Cognac and white wine, bring to a boil and scrape up browned bits from the pan.
- Add thyme and pour the garlic and cooking liquid over the chicken in the crock pot.
- Cook on low for 6 hours.
- Before serving, remove the chicken to a platter and adjust seasoning. If desired, thicken the sauce with arrowroot mixed into a slurry and stirred in at the end.