Hey Humble Readers...
Thank you so much to everyone who commented on my last post and emailed. I really appreciate all your support. Thursday and Friday were spent pretty much freaking out, but I started getting a grip on things last night, and I'm feeling mostly better about things. As so many of you pointed out, my betas are doubling the way they should, they just started out lower that normal and it will take awhile to get to where they should be.
So, because I wasted yesterday fretting and worrying, I never got around to posting my Foodie Friday recipe. And I couldn't just let it pass by because it's such a fantabulous recipe. The only bummer... I forgot to take a picture of it, so no foodie po.rn this time. Sorry. Just imagine a crock pot full of garlic and juicy browned chicken pieces. Amazing!
This recipe is super easy, and if you're totally lazy like me, you can buy the garlic already peeled to save time. And please don't freak out about the amount of garlic. The cloves are left whole, so you get great garlic flavour without being overpowered. This recipe is a combination of a few that I found on Pint.erest.
Mega Garlic Chicken
1 whole roasting chicken, broken down (I used 4 thighs and 4 drumsticks, bone in and skin on)
40 garlic cloves, peeled (about 3 whole bulbs)
Olive oil
Salt & Pepper
3/4 cup white wine (I used chicken stock because my wine rack only has red in it, but the wine would be better)
2 tsp dried thyme (I doubled this)
2 tsp dried rosemary (I doubled this)
1-2 bay leaves
Sprinkle chicken pieces with salt and pepper, and rub it in. In a skillet heat a tablespoon or two of olive oil and brown the chicken. When all pieces are browned, transfer to your slow cooker. Add a bit more olive oil to the skillet and toss in the garlic cloves. Stir/toss for 5-8 minutes until dark golden. Add wine/chicken stock to deglaze the pan (loosen up all the good bits stuck to the pan) and allow to simmer for 2 or 3 minutes. Pour garlic & wine over the chicken in the slow cooker. Sprinkle with thyme and rosemary, and add bay leaf. Cover and cook on low for three and a half to four hours. Remove chicken from slow cooker to a plate, and cover with foil (I put mine in a low oven while I got the rest of dinner ready). Pour the remaining liquid/garlic mix through a strainer over a small pot, and bring to a simmer. (discard the garlic cloves, etc) Simmer for 5-10 minutes to reduce and thicken slightly (it won't be thick like gravy, more like an au jus). Serve with mashed potatoes and steamed veggies. Tip: Reserve a few of the garlic cloves to mash with potatoes.
The original recipe didn't call to brown the chicken, but any meat in a slow cooker should be browned first because it tastes better. Besides, any meat that goes into a slow cooker tastes much better when it's been browned first.
Oh, and one other tip... you'll want to take the garbage out right after dinner, otherwise your house will stink of garlic.
As always, if you try it, let me know what you think!
