Chicken with Forty Cloves of Garlic

Oh, now this is a recipe you definitely need to try, it's so rich and flavorful! Knocked my socks off!

Separate the cloves of garlic and drop them into a pot of boiling water for 60 seconds. Drain the garlic and peel. You can also peel them raw by separating the cloves, using the flat side of a knife place a clove on the cutting board and pound the flat side of the knife (not completely smashing it), this breaks up the outer layer and makes them easier to peel. Set aside.

Cut your chicken into eighths, 2 wings, 2 breasts, 2 thighs, 2 legs. If you do not know how to cut up a chicken, here is a very short and helpful video http://www.chow.com/stories/10080. Dry the chicken with paper towels. Season liberally with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat the butter and oil in a large dutch oven or pot 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; you don't want to pierce the chicken 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 minutes, DO NOT BURN! Burnt garlic is nasty. Turn the garlic 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 the pot and simmer on lowest heat for about 30 minutes or if you are using a dutch oven put the oven at around 250 and cook for 20 minutes or so. Don't overcook the chicken, dry chicken is no good.

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 slowly whisk it back into the sauce in the pot. Raise the heat and add the remaining tablespoon of Cognac and the cream and boil for 3 minutes. At salt and pepper to taste, it should be very flavorful. Pour the sauce and garlic over the chicken and serve hot.

I was only cooking for two so I halved the recipe and it was enough for leftovers. You might think about halving the recipe unless you are cooking for 4 people or more.

Ingredients:

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
3 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves (not dried!)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons heavy cream