40 GARLIC CHICKEN WITH AN ASIAN TWIST
Chicken with 40 cloves of garlic, or something a little fancier… It’s a famous French cuisine that involves adding a mind-boggling amount of garlic to one chicken dish––but it’s worth it in the long run. When I first tried it, I was taken aback by how mild the garlic flavor was. With the chicken, the garlic took on a mellow, sweet flavor that was completely different from the hot, pungent flavor you may expect from it when it is raw.
My goal was to Asianify a typical 40-garlic chicken, which may bring up visions of French country vistas, pottery milk jugs, and other rustic French provencal décor. To be honest, I didn’t have enough vermouth to make the genuine thing, so I decided to use Shaoxing wine as a substitute. Toss in some soy sauce while you’re at it, I thought to myself. As soon as I could, I did so. The dish was garnished with cilantro because I didn’t have parsley or thyme on hand. So it came to pass.
This is one you should give a go.
If you’re not looking forward to peeling 40 cloves of garlic, I can assure you that I have done it. I smashed and peeled all 40 cloves with my knife and my ever-increasingly garlicky fingertips. I’m not a fan of the number four. My Chinese grandparents, who raised me, established a strong distaste for it in me from an early age. Don’t bother asking.) However, after the fact, I came across this video that shows you how to peel it all in less than 10 seconds. Then I went crazy.
That said, I wasn’t about to lose my mind because I had a wonderful meal planned.
INGREDIENTS:
- 3 tablespoons of oil
- 4 lbs of chicken pieces
- 40 cloves of peeled garlic
- 3 slices of ginger
- 1 tablespoon of soy sauce
- 1/4 cup of shaoxing wine
- 1/4 cup of dry vermouth
- 2/3 cup of chicken stock
- cilantro
- salt and pepper
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Oil should be heated in a cast-iron skillet or Dutch oven at a moderately high temperature.
- After rinsing and drying the chicken, pat it dry and season with salt and pepper.
- It’s time to get the chicken crispy on both sides! Set your oven temperature to 350° F.
- Make a deep roasting or baking dish for the chicken and set it aside. Cook the garlic and ginger in the same pan as the chicken for 8 minutes or until caramelized.
- Before adding the vermouth, add the soy sauce and Shaoxing wine to the pan and heat for 2 minutes.
- Remove from heat and let alone for 5 minutes. Place the chicken in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Add cilantro and roast for around 25-30 minutes.