Here’s a fun and easy stew recipe that requires, as the name suggests, 40 cloves of garlic — but don’t let the amount scare you. Once cooked, garlic loses its intense bite and pungency, becoming soft, mellow and flavorful. I adapted this classic recipe from a slow-cooker version and pull it out whenever I have lots of people coming over. You can serve it with potatoes (fingerling are great), rice or even over pasta. It’s also easy to make in advance and heat up.
Recipe: Easy 40-Clove Chicken Stew
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp cornstarch
40 cloves garlic, peeled (3-4 bulbs)
¾ cup white wine
12 skinless chicken thigh or drumsticks
1 small white onion, sliced thinly
2 tbsp fresh tarragon, chopped
1 tsp salt
Start with a large pot over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons unsalted butter.
Now add 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (I used grainy, as I had run out of Dijon) and 1 tablespoon cornstarch.
Stir this gently over the medium heat until it forms a paste — about one minute.
Add ¾ cup white wine; something with good acidity, like a sauvignon blanc, works well. Make sure it’s also a wine you like: you’ll have a lot left over for drinking!
Add the garlic. And here’s the secret: look for those packs of pre-peeled garlic, which will make this dish a breeze. Otherwise, you need 3-4 bulbs of garlic with each clove peeled, to yield about 40 cloves.
Throw in the chicken: 12 pieces of skinless chicken thigh or drumsticks (bone-in or -out, doesn’t matter).
Peel and slice up one medium white onion, then lay the strips all over the chicken.
Finally, add about 2 tablespoons fresh, chopped tarragon. I usually end up adding another tablespoon near the end after I taste the stew.
Mix everything so the chicken is well covered, then put the lid on your pot and simmer gently on low for 2-3 hours. You want the chicken to be falling apart and the garlic to be completely soft. When done, season with a teaspoon of salt (or to taste) and some fresh ground pepper.
Cross your fingers that there will be leftovers for the next day — but I doubt it!
Recipe: Easy 40-Clove Chicken Stew
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp cornstarch
40 cloves garlic, peeled (3-4 bulbs)
¾ cup white wine
12 skinless chicken thigh or drumsticks
1 small white onion, sliced thinly
2 tbsp fresh tarragon, chopped
1 tsp salt
Instructions
- Into a large pot, over medium heat, add your butter. Once melted, add the mustard and cornstarch and stir until a paste forms. About 1 minute.
- Add the white wine and all the garlic. Stir to combine.
- Add in the chicken and cover with the sliced onion and tarragon. Stir gently to make sure the chicken is coated.
- Cook over low or med-low (gentle simmer), covered for 3 hours or until chicken is tender and garlic is soft. Stir occasionally.
- Season with 1 tsp salt and fresh ground pepper.
- Taste and add more tarragon or seasoning if needed. You can also thicken the sauce a bit more by adding another teaspoon of corn starch and stirring till thickened.
Sue Riedl is a Toronto-based food writer with a passion for cheese who writes a column called The Spread for The Globe and Mail. She loves to push stinky cheese on her 4-year-old.
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by Sue Riedl