Chicken in 40 Cloves of Garlic and Shallots
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40 cloves of garlic and shallots may sound a little overwhelming, but when cooked, they turned deliciously mild and sweet. If you have no time to peel the garlic and shallots, you can always buy pre-peeled ones to save time.
See Also: Irish Beef Stew Recipe
This chicken stew is the type of dish I like to cook on an idle weekend, since I get to cook a huge batch with possibly leftovers for risotto the next day. I was inspired to make this after seeing pigpig’s gorgeous chicken in shallots and garlic photos, however I bake my chicken stew in an oven instead of cooking it on the stove top (as I always do for my stews) – in this way, I don’t have to watch the stove. If you do not have an oven, you can simmer the stew over the stove top for about an hour, or until the chicken meat is so tender that it falls off the bones easily.
40 cloves of garlic and shallots
Browning chicken before baking the casserole is optional (step 1), but it definitely adds additional depth and flavour to the stew.
Chicken in Garlic & Shallots Recipe
You may serve the stew as it is, or with cooked macaroni. After 2 hours of baking, the chicken meat will fall off the bone easily, so you have the option to serve it as a whole drumstick, or shred the meat before serving.
Ingredients:
- 1 kg chicken drumsticks or thighs rinsed and patted dry with paper towels
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 20 grams butter
- 1 stalk celery sliced thinly
- 40 shallots peeled
- 40 garlic cloves peeled
- 800 ml chicken stock
- 4 carrots peeled and cut to small chunks
- 200 grams fresh shiitake mushrooms stalks trimmed & discarded
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tbsp dried herbs (such as Italian seasoning) or assorted fresh herbs such as rosemary & thyme
- salt and black pepper to taste
You also need:
- Dutch oven or oven-safe casserole (at least 3-litre capacity)
Directions:
- Heat oil in cast-iron pan/dutch oven. Brown chicken pieces on both sides by batches and set aside.
- Using the remaining oil left in the casserole, melt butter. Add celery and fry for about 1 minute. Then add shallots and garlic, fry briefly for another minute until fragrant.
- Add chicken stock, carrots, mushrooms, bay leaves and dried herbs. Once everything comes to a simmer, turn off the heat. Add the browned chicken pieces prepared in step 1 back to the casserole. Cover with lid.
- Transfer casserole to an oven, and bake at 200°C (392°F) for about 2 hours. If the stew becomes dry, add hot water. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve on its own or with cooked macaroni.
Noob Cook Tip
If you do not have an oven, you can simmer the stew over the stove top for about an hour, or until the chicken meat is so tender that it falls off the bones easily.
Adapted from Pig Pig’s Corner