Chicken Braised with Tomatoes and Roast Garlic

Although a whole head of garlic seems like a lot, the roast really mitigates the heat and gives a warm creamy garlicky flavor which is offset by the acid in the tomatoes.

INGREDIENTS:

1 whole head garlic

1 chicken, cut into thighs, drumsticks, breast halves-each one halved again, wings cut into drummettes*

2 red onions, medium dice

1½-2 pounds tomatoes, chopped finely

1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped

1 bay leaf

1/3^rd cup dry white wine

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard, seedy kind preferably

Salt and pepper to taste

Olive oil as needed

METHOD:

Heat oven to 400°F. While oven heats, slice off the top third of the garlic head, drizzle the cut surface with some olive oil, replace the top and wrap tightly in a piece of foil. Cook the garlic for 30-45 minutes, or until the garlic cloves are very soft and creamy in their jackets. Peel back the foil and allow the garlic to brown a little and pick up a toasty aroma.

Remove the garlic, and when cool enough to handle, squeeze each clove into a bowl. Add a little oil and stir/mash with a fork.

Heat a lidded sauteuse or skillet large enough to hold all the chicken in a single layer over medium heat. Film with oil, and when hot, add the onions. Sauté until softened and just picking spots of color. Add the thyme and bay, and then the tomatoes. Season with a little salt and pepper. Toss to combine all the ingredients. Cook so the tomatoes start to break down and liquid is coming out of the tomatoes. If it is dry in the pan, add a couple ounces of water to start the tomatoes breaking down. Add more water so the bottom of the pan develops a 1 inch puddle of sauce.

Add the wine to the pan and wait for the ingredients to simmer again. Add the garlic paste, and use a whisk to mix it into the pan contents until smooth.

Season the chicken well on both sides with salt and pepper, then lay the chicken into the pan in a single layer, skin side down. Put the lid on the pan and bring the contents to a boil. Once boiling, put the covered pan into the center of the oven.

After 40 minutes, remove from the oven. Using tongs, turn the chicken skin side up, then return the pan,-uncovered– to the oven. Cook 15 minutes more to crisp the skin, then remove from the oven. Place the chicken onto a platter and whisk the mustard into the pan sauce over a burner on high. Reduce the sauce a bit to thicken it and then pour it over the chicken. Serve hot.

Serves: 4

Source: Chef Andrew E Cohen