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After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America in 2006, Emma Hearst started making a splash in the food world. She opened acclaimed Manhattan eatery Sorella in 2008 with a classmate; was the youngest-ever Iron Chef America competitor at 24 in 2011; and earned a James Beard Award nom in 2012 for Rising Star Chef of the Year. In 2016, Hearst traded fast-paced New York City for a pastoral life in Albany County where she runs Forts Ferry Farm with her husband (and crafts pantry goods for her recently opened store in Hudson, Farm Shoppe). Her new cookbook, Flavors from the Farm, is packed with over 100 homegrown recipes starring seasonal produce.
40 Cloves of Garlic Chicken With Carrots, Onions & Potatoes
Course: MainCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Medium4
servings1
hour15
minutes1
hour30
minutes2
hours45
minutesAlthough chicken might seem like it wants to be the star of this dish, I can promise you it doesn’t stand a chance. Garlic has been a star crop in recent years—a rebel without a seed packet because its seeds are the cloves! It obeys a growing schedule opposite of most everything else due to its need for a deep cold rest. Planting thousands of cloves in early October produces beautiful garlic heads for us by the following July. We grow a hardneck variety named German White, which we originally sourced from the Maine Potato Lady, a wonderful garlic and potato purveyor in the far Northeast. Quality garlic is key to this recipe, so source some from your local farmers’ market rather than the supermarket.
Ingredients
12 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and drumsticks, or 1 whole chicken (about 4 lbs) cut into serving pieces
Kosher salt
1 lb waxy potatoes, cut into 2-inch pieces if large
3–4 carrots, cut into 1-to 2-inch pieces
1 large yellow onion, chopped
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
1 cup dry vermouth or white wine, plus more if needed
40 cloves garlic, unpeeled but cleaned of excess papery skin
½ cup butter, cut into pieces
A few fresh thyme sprigs
Freshly grated nutmeg, for sprinkling
Sweet paprika, for sprinkling
Baguette, for serving
Directions
- Coat the chicken pieces with about 2 teaspoons salt, put them into a large bowl, cover the bowl, and let sit in the refrigerator for about 1 hour. Then drain off the liquid that has collected at the bottom and set the chicken aside.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Put the potatoes, carrots, and onion into a large roasting pan. Drizzle them with a bit of oil, sprinkle with salt, and toss until they have a very light sheen. Place the chicken pieces, skin side up, in the pan, arranging them among the vegetables, and drizzle them with a little oil. Pour the vermouth into the pan, then tuck in the garlic cloves, butter pieces, and thyme. Sprinkle the nutmeg and paprika over the chicken and vegetables.
- Cover the pan with aluminum foil, place in the oven, and bake for about 1 hour. Remove the foil and continue to bake until the chicken is cooked through and the skin begins to brown, about 30 minutes longer, adding more vermouth if needed to prevent sticking.
- Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before serving. Serve this radiant dish with sliced baguette alongside, encouraging diners to slip the garlic cloves from their skins, and smear them on top of the bread along with the sweet, buttery carrots.
