Calling all garlic lovers! 40 Clove Garlic Chicken

"Garlic used as it should be used is the soul, the divine essence, of cookery. The cook who can employ it successfully will be found to possess the delicacy of perception, the accuracy of judgment, and the dexterity of hand which go to the formation of a great artist." -- Mrs. W.G. Waters in 'The Cook's Decameron,' 1920

If you aren't a big garlic fan then this dish is not for you. However, if you're like me and can't ever get enough garlic, then you're in luck! This is an easy crockpot dish that you throw together in the morning and then forget about until it's time to eat in the evening. I used a small whole chicken, but you can use 3 to 4 pounds of your favorite chicken parts. Instead of adding the paprika I cheated and used an Amazing Taste Poultry seasoning packet (my dirty little secret...shhhh!). I love this particular spice packet--it has paprika in it and some other ingredients as well, and gives chicken a wonderful flavor. I get the packets at the meat counter in my grocery store. I rubbed the seasoning onto my bird the night before and stuck it in the refrigerator to marinate. I definitely didn't skimp on the garlic and probably ended up adding about 50 cloves instead of 40. Hey, I love my garlic! Plus, when garlic cooks for this long it gets so soft and creamy that you could spread it on a piece of toast--YUM! The chicken is super flavorful and moist, the onions soft and a bit caramelized, and the garlic rich and creamy. I highly recommend erring on the side of LOTS of garlic cloves, as you will love having a bit of garlic with every bite of chicken. This meal was a big hit with the Fujis and will be making repeat appearances in the near future.

40 Clove Garlic Chicken
From a Year of Crockpotting
6 servings

3-4 pounds chicken
1 large onion, sliced
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 tsp. kosher salt
2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. pepper
20-40 garlic cloves, peeled, but intact

1. Place onion slices on the bottom of the crockpot (mine is a 6-quart oval crockpot).

2. In a large mixing bowl, mix olive oil, salt, paprika, pepper, and garlic cloves. Add chicken and toss to coat. Pour into crockpot on top of the onion slices. Do not add water.

3. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 4-6. The longer you cook chicken-on-the bone, the more tender it will be. If you use drumsticks, the ones on the side will brown and may stick to the sides of the crockpot, burning a bit. To avoid this, you can rearrange them with tons an hour before serving.


* Don't forget! You have until Tuesday, April 28, 2009, 10:00 PM PST to enter the Furochic giveaway! (Go here for instructions on how to enter).