Can I make 40 Clove Chicken in my slow cooker with these ingredients?

Question

Okay quick because I need to figure this out. I have lots of garlic (3 heads at least), chicken drumsticks and thighs (about 3 pounds), lots of diffrerent seasoning, and chicken broth. Will it work because I'm really in a pinch for dinner tonight.

Answer 1

This is best if done in a clay roaster - but you can use a covered pot in the oven also. I think the slow cooker would work but you would have to start out at high heat for about one hour and then turn it down to medium for about another hour or more.

You can't really over-cook it so if you want to leave it on for longer than two hours, just reduce the heat after the second hour.

Put the garlic cloves (after you've peeled them) into the pot whole - don't slice or chop them

chop up a medium onion and put that on the bottom also.

add one 12 oz or so package of sliced mushrooms

dust your chicken parts with flour and place them ontop of the garlic mixture

pour in about one cup of chicken or vegetable broth and 1/4 cup of dry sherry or marsala wine

cover it and cook it.

when you serve this, pick out the whole pieces of garlic and put them in bowl with some of the sauce from the pot. Spread the garlic on warm bread slices - it goes on like butter.

I've got to go - I'm getting hungry.

Phil

Answer 2

Yes, but I'd brown the chicken in a dutch oven first. Here's my fave recipe (that does not call for a slow cooker.)

Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic

3 whole heads of garlic, about 40 cloves
2 (3½ lb.) chickens, cut into eighths
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2 Tbsp. good olive oil
3 Tbsp. Cognac, divided
1½ cups dry white wine (I’ve used chix broth before)
1 Tbsp. fresh thyme leaves (1 tsp. dry)
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp. heavy cream

Separate the cloves of garlic and drop them into a pot of boiling water for 60 seconds. Drain and peel garlic; set aside.

Dry the chicken w/ paper towels. Season liberally w/ salt & pepper on both sides. Heat the butter and oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over med-high heat. In batches, sauté chicken in the fat, skin side down first, until nicely browned, about 3-5 minutes on each side. Turn over w/ spatula or tongs; do not pierce skin w/ fork. If the fat is burning, turn heat down to medium. When a batch is done, transfer to a plate and continue to sauté all the chicken in batches. Remove the last chicken to the plate. Add all the garlic cloves to the pot. Lower heat and sauté for 5-10 minutes, turning often until evenly browned. Add 2 Tbsp. of the cognac and the wine to the garlic, return to a boil, scraping the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Return the chicken to the pot with the juice and sprinkle chicken w/ thyme leaves. Cover and simmer over the lowest heat for about 30 minutes, or until chicken is tender.

Remove the chicken to a platter, cover w/ foil to keep warm. In a small bowl, whisk together ½ cup of the sauce and the flour, and then whisk this back into the sauce in the pot. Raise the heat, add the remaining Tbsp. of Cognac, and the cream. Boil for 3 minutes. Taste sauce and adjust for salt and pepper to taste; it is important for the sauce to be very flavorful because chicken tends to be bland. Pour the sauce and the garlic cloves over the chicken and serve hot.

Reheats well.

--Ina Garten, Barefoot in Paris cookbook