Every Friday afternoons at 3:00pm I have the delight of escaping my workplace hum drum while I sit at my desk, ear buds in place, waiting in anticipation for Jean Feraca's "Food Friday" addition of her Here on Earth Wisconsin public radio show to start. This weekly adventure takes me through the pages of cookbooks galour as the authors inspire, entice and delight Wisconsin foodies!
Last week's guest was Michele Scicolone, author of The French Slow Cooker. I was immediately intrigued by this topic because for one, I love the French...everything about the French...the food, the wine, the culture...always have, always will. In fact, I hope to one day travel to the land from whence my paternal ancestors hailed. This author also interested me because I absolutely LOVE using my slow cooker. I try to use it once every week because I can usually knock out two dinners and a lunch for both my boyfriend and I with minimal effort.
The following recipe is a take on the traditional French dish, chicken with forty (yes, 40!!!) cloves of garlic. Don't let the garlic "over power" your desire to try this dish; when garlic is slow cooked like this, it takes on a buttery texture and a nutty earthiness unlike it's raw counterpart. Another great thing about this dish is the left overs! Or, the "tails" as I once heard them called by another "Food Friday" guest. After we originally ate this the first night, I switched it up a bit the following evening by shredding the chicken and serving it over fresh bakery rolls with a horse radish and Greek yogurt topping...yum, YUM!
Chicken with Forty Cloves of Garlic (serves 6)
Recipe taken from http://wpr.org/HereOnEarth/archive_120127k.cfm
- 2-3 garlic heads 12 bone-in chicken thighs, skin removed 1T. chopped fresh rosemary salt and freshly ground pepper ½ C. dry white wine 2T. fresh lemon juice Separate garlic into cloves. There should be about 40. Discard any loose skin from the cloves, but do not peel them. Scatter the garlic in a large slow cooker. Sprinkle the chicken with the rosemary and salt and pepper to taste. Place the chicken pieces in the slow cooker. Pour in wine and lemon juice. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours, or until the chicken is tender and cooked through. To serve, transfer chicken and most of garlic to a large platter. Cover and keep warm. Remove and smash the remaining garlic cloves and stir them back into the liquid. Discard the garlic skins. Pour the liquid into a saucepan and bring it to a boil. Cook until reduced and slightly thickened. Taste for seasoning. Pour the sauce over the chicken and serve hot.
