Vampire (Garlic) Chicken

Heat oven to 375F.

Wash and pat dry chicken. Salt and pepper each side. I use chicken breasts, as that is all my family will eat. No dark meat in this house, but a “pick of the chix” or cut up fryer would work well, too.

Heat olive oil and butter in a Dutch oven on the stove top. (If you don’t have a Dutch oven, you can simply use a frying pan, but have a glass baking dish with lid—or I suppose, if desperate, tinfoil—available for transfer.) Once butter has melted into the oil, place the chicken in, starting with the skin side down. Brown until lightly golden, and flip, usually just 3-5 minutes a side. You may need to do this in batches if you are using a smaller dish. You can add more oil/butter if needed for browning without destroying the dish. Remove from heat. If you are using a fry pan rather than a Dutch oven, at this point place chicken in your baking dish in a single layer. Pour juices from the pan over the chicken.

Juice your lemon and add to your white wine. Pour onto the chicken.

Peel all the garlic cloves. Easiest method I have found is to cut off the pointed end of each head of garlic and place them in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for approximately 30 seconds. Adjust as needed for your microwave. Allow to cool slightly, and the skins will peel off very easily. Evenly disperse all the peeled garlic cloves in the baking dish, including on top of your chicken. I occasionally use more than 4 heads of garlic, just depends on my mood, so don’t be afraid to use more if your family loves garlic. Add whole sprigs of thyme across your chicken.

Cover and bake for 40 minutes. Remove the cover and bake uncovered for an additional 15-20 minutes or until chicken is tender and juices run clear. This baking time is how long my chicken usually takes, but again I only use thick chicken breasts. Smaller cuts of chicken will cook quicker, so keep an eye on it depending on what size/type of chicken you use. Also, crowding the chicken in the pan will increase your cooking time.

Please allow chicken to stand for 5 minutes before serving. The garlic in this dish is very tender and a little on the sweet side. Scoop some out (without the liquids) and mash it up into a pretty serving bowl. Serve as a spread for your French bread.

Enjoy!