Garlic Chicken

Dinner | French

Prep time: 10 min Cook time: 1 min Servings: 4

This is my take on the French Provençal classic 40 Clove Garlic Chicken. I’ve pushed it to 50 cloves because the garlic here isn’t pungent or sharp. Left unpeeled and braised in a sealed pot with vermouth, herbs and chicken fat, the cloves steam-roast inside their skins and transform completely. The starches convert, the sugars caramelise gently, and what you end up with is soft, butter-sweet paste that you squeeze straight onto crusty bread. The skin acts as a natural casing, protecting the garlic from the liquid and allowing it to essentially confit in the fat and steam during the 75-minute oven braise.

The process

The cook itself is straightforward. Brown the chicken pieces hard in batches to build fond on the base of the pan, then soften the aromatics in that fat before layering everything back in with the garlic and vermouth. Once the lid goes on and it hits the oven, it looks after itself. Serve it the traditional way with whole pieces of chicken, a good handful of those garlic cloves on the side, and a loaf of crusty bread to mop up the pan juices. It scales easily and reheats well, which makes it a good choice for feeding a crowd with minimal last-minute effort.

Ingredient Notes

Garlic (unpeeled): Keep the skins on. This is non-negotiable. The skin insulates the clove from the braising liquid, so rather than dissolving into the sauce, the garlic steams inside its own casing and turns silky and sweet. You can pull off the loose papery outer layers, but don’t peel them fully or you’ll end up with mushy, overly soft garlic that disappears into the sauce instead of remaining whole for serving.

Vermouth: Dry vermouth adds a light, herbal acidity that cuts through the richness of the chicken fat and keeps the braising liquid from becoming heavy. If you don’t have vermouth, dry sherry is the closest substitute. Verjuice works if you want to skip the alcohol entirely. Avoid sweet vermouth as it will push the dish too far in the wrong direction.

Herbs de Provence: This is a dried herb blend from the Provençal region that typically includes thyme, rosemary, marjoram, savory and often lavender. The lavender is what makes it distinctive. Good delis and greengrocers will carry it, but if you can’t find it, mixed dried herbs will cover the base flavour profile even if you lose the floral note.

Equipment

Chopping board
Chef’s knife
Tongs
Large ovenproof saucepan or Dutch oven with lid
Microplane or fine grater (for nutmeg)
Large bowl
Serving plates

Ingredients

40ml (2 tbsp) olive oil
2kg (4.4lb) chicken, cut into 10 pieces
sea salt and pepper, to season
2 sticks celery, chopped
2 brown onions, sliced
½ bunch thyme
2 fresh bay leaves
3 sprigs flat leaf parsley
1 tsp dried Herbs de Provence
freshly grated nutmeg
50 cloves garlic, unpeeled (about 4 heads)
125ml/5oz (½ cup) Vermouth
crusty bread, to serve

Directions

Prep and cook the chicken
Preheat the oven to 170°C fan force (340°F).
Season chicken pieces well with salt and pepper.
Heat the oil in a large oven proof saucepan over medium-high heat.
Cook the chicken pieces for 6-8 minutes, in batches, until well browned all over, then set aside.
Cook the base
Add the onion and celery to the pan and cook for 3 minutes, until softened.
Stir in thyme, bay, parsley, dried herbs and grate over nutmeg.
Sprinkle over half of the garlic cloves, then return the chicken to the pan and any resting juices.
Add remaining garlic then pour in the vermouth. Cover with a lid and place in the oven for 1 hour 15 minutes.
Finish and serve
Once done, remove the pan from the oven and place on a heatproof surface.
Serve chicken pieces with fresh crusty bread. Squeeze the garlic from its skin and lather it on the bread (like butter) and enjoy with the chicken and sauce.

Recipe notes

Chef Tips

Brown the chicken in batches, not all at once

Crowding the pan drops the surface temperature and the chicken steams instead of browning. You want a deep, golden crust on every piece because that fond left on the bottom of the pan is the base flavour for the entire braise. Give each batch enough room and enough time, around 3-4 minutes per side without moving the pieces.

Don’t peel the garlic

The skin functions as a natural barrier between the garlic and the braising liquid. Inside the skin, the garlic essentially confits in its own moisture and the surrounding fat, converting to a sweet, smooth paste. Peel the cloves before cooking and they lose that protection, overcook into the sauce, and you lose the signature squeeze-at-the-table element that makes this dish worth making.

Storage

Store leftovers in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 3 days. Keep the garlic cloves separate from the chicken so they stay whole for serving. Reheat on the stovetop over low heat with a splash of water or stock to loosen the sauce. This freezes well: remove the chicken from the bone first, pack with sauce in a freezer-safe container, and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge before reheating.

FAQs

Can I use a whole chicken instead of pieces? Yes. A whole chicken (around 1.8-2kg) works well. Score the thighs a couple of times to help the heat penetrate, and increase the oven time to around 90 minutes.

What can I use instead of vermouth? Dry sherry is the best substitute and will give you a very similar result. Verjuice works if you want to avoid alcohol altogether and keeps the acidity without adding sweetness. I’d avoid white wine here as it can turn slightly bitter in a long braise.

Can I make this ahead of time? Yes, and it actually improves overnight. Cool the finished dish completely, transfer to an airtight container, and refrigerate. The next day, skim any solidified fat from the surface and reheat gently on the stovetop. The garlic will be even more yielding and the sauce slightly more developed.