Most Americans rotate only about 8-10 different dinners in their nightly repertoire. I can’t say that’s true for me, with one exception. I love chicken thighs, and adore garlic, so you’ll likely see a lot of that if you come to my house pretty often.
Chicken thighs are THE cut for almost every chicken dish, in my opinon. They are juicier and more flavorful than any other, and can hold up well to smoking, barbecueing or frying. When you bake them over this unctuous, savory garlic bed, they’re absolute heaven. Each clove is so sweet and yummy, I could snack on them all day. They’ve got none of the “bite” that comes with raw garlc, and they pair with the rest of these veggies very well. Don;t let the 40 cloves scare you. Most of them melt into the sauce and just give a richness to everything it touches.
INGREDIENTS
4 chicken thighs
4 tablespoons butter
salt and pepper, to season
1 bunch asparagus
4 leeks, white part only, halved and sliced
40-ish cloves garlic, peeled
½ cup dry vermouth, or white wine
2 teaspoons dried thyme
¾ cup chicken stock
2 tablespoons potato starch or all-purpose flour
1 shaved black truffle or a couple porcinis
METHOD
Pre-heat the oven to 350.
Season the chicken with the salt, pepper and half of the thyme. Set aside.
Heat some oil in a large pan and sear the chicken, skin side down until golden brown.
Take the chicken out and set aside.
Add the flour/starch to the vermouth or white wine.
Put the leeks, truffles, and garlic in the pan, then top with the asparagus. Salt and pepper again.
Add the chicken on top. pour the liquid around and top with thyme. Bake in the oven for 45 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. (It may take less time but the thighs I bought were as big as breasts).
Serve over rice with a bit of the jus and some of the melted vegetables..
If there was a lot of lesser-cooked garlic in this dish, I’d say choose a wine that’s a little more acidic, but I think even a bolder red would work nicely with this caramelized garlic.
For something different, try the 2019 Terre di Talamo Vento Teso Viognier.
Hope you all had a wonderful holiday weekend!