Name: Chicken with 40 cloves of garlic
Yield: 4
Ingredients: Chicken; 1.8 kg chicken, cut into 8 pieces; 4 heads garlic, cloves separated and unpeeled; 60 ml extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling (¼ cup); ¼ tsp each dried thyme, dried oregano and dried savoury; ½ cup plain flour; Bouquet garni; 1 stalk celery, cut into 3 pieces; 2 fresh bay leaves; 3 stalks parsley; 1 piece leek, top part only, rinsed

Based on Richard Olney’s recipe in Simple French Food.

Ingredients

Chicken

1.8 kg chicken, cut into 8 pieces

4 heads garlic, cloves separated and unpeeled

60 ml extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling (¼ cup)

¼ tsp each dried thyme, dried oregano and dried savoury

½ cup plain flour

Bouquet garni

1 stalk celery, cut into 3 pieces

2 fresh bay leaves

3 stalks parsley

1 piece leek, top part only, rinsed

Method

Main

1.Place chicken, garlic, oil and herbs in a large casserole dish, season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and combine. Tie bouquet garni ingredients together using kitchen twine and add to casserole, cover with lid.

2.Preheat oven to 180C. In a small bowl combine flour, a drizzle of olive oil and enough water to form a dough. Roll dough into a sausage shape long enough to fit around the edge of casserole. Press to seal the lid and dish together. Cook for 1 hour and 45 minutes.

3.To serve, place casserole on the table, break pastry seal and discard, along with bouquet garni. Serve chicken pieces with roasted garlic cloves, squeezed from their skins, sautéed potatoes and a green salad, if desired.

Styling by Rodney Dunn

Styling by Lynsey Fryers