Garlic Chicken & Rumanian Smother Chicken

(The recipe below was originally from Bill & Dougie McKereghan, our neighbors “across the alley” when we lived on Abell Avenue in Baltimore.)

CHICKEN CASSEROLE WITH FORTY CLOVES OF GARLIC

2 large slices coarsely grained bread (can use slices of French or Italian bread)
1 3 1/2-to-4-lb. chicken, whole
2 tablespoons butter
Salt
2 bay leaves----
40 cloves garlic, unpeeled

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Put the bread slices in a 4- to 5-quart earthenware casserole with cover. Truss the chicken but do not stuff it. Place on top of bread. Smear the top of the chicken with the butter and salt. Add the bay leaves.

Surround the chicken with the unpeeled garlic cloves.

Cover the casserole and bake in 350° F. oven for 1 1/2 hours. Since the garlic skins harden in the cooking, the centers of the cloves can easily be removed and will be soft. Either spread them on the bread and serve with the chicken or put in a small dish and pass along with the bread.

Serves 4.

Inspired by the Forty Clove of Garlic in the above recipe, we often surround our stand-up chicken with lots of unpeeled garlic, stuff a few peeled cloves under the skin, shake a bit of Italian Seasoning over the chicken, then drizzle a little rosemary-olive oil. Voila -- it cooks. Of course, this way you do not have that steamy bread. Just serve a good loaf on the side.

This recipe has been kitchen tested.

(Click here to see the recipe for RUMANIAN SMOTHERED CHICKEN with SOUR CREAM and LEMON, another McKereghan contribution to our family cookbook)

To see a recently published and very different version, developed by chef Antoine Westermann, you can go to the New York Times' website, double click here on

http://www.nytimes.com/2001/12/12/dining/121GREX.html

The author of the article in The Times, Dorie Greenspan, describes this latest reincarnation of garlic chicken ". . . the next generation of a great no-matter-what recipe."

You can find this and related recipe(s) by tapping here on the Home Cookin' index.

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