Who knows where this started — throwing enormous amounts of garlic at chicken…a garlic festival in California? The French countryside? On a farm with more garlic than anyone knew what do with? The point is that we have someone to thank for creating one of the simplest, most delicious dishes, featuring garlic that becomes sweet and nutty from time spent in the oven, as well as juicy from bathing in those divine chicken juices.
I like this gluten-free version from The Casserole Queens Make-a-Meal Cookbook because the vermouth acts as a stealth ingredient, a little more interesting than wine might be. Essentially, this is garlic-stuffed chicken sitting on top of vegetables — and still more garlic. Smear the soft cloves on the chicken pieces or on slices of a baguette.
- cooking spray
- 2 medium onions chopped
- 4 celery ribs cut into ¼-inch slices
- 1 teaspoon dried tarragon
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 8 chicken thighs skinned (about 2¾ pounds)
- 8 chicken drumsticks skinned (about 1¾ pounds)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup dry vermouth (you can use sherry or dry white wine in a pinch)
- 40 garlic cloves separated but not peeled
- Preheat the oven to 325° F. Spray a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish with cooking spray.
- Combine the onions, celery, tarragon, and parsley in the prepared casserole dish.
- Rub the chicken pieces with the olive oil and season with the salt and pepper. Put the chicken on top of the onions and celery. Drizzle with the vermouth and tuck the garlic in and around the chicken.
- Cover the casserole with foil. Bake for 1½ hours, or until internal temperature of the chicken is 160° F.
