Full question
I love Nigella's recipes and was very disappointed because the Chicken With 40 Cloves Of Garlic didn't come together although I followed it carefully. The chicken meat was tender but dull. Others clearly enjoy it enormously so where did I go wrong please?
Our answer
Nigella's Chicken With 40 Cloves Of Garlic (from KITCHEN) is a version of the French classic dish. The whole garlic cloves soften and mellow as they cook and the cooked garlic puree can be squeezed out and eaten with the chicken or whisked into the sauce. The chicken thighs cook slowly in the casserole, becoming moist and tender.
The recipe starts out by browning the skin of the chicken thighs and this step is quite important as it adds a lot of flavour. Make sure that the chicken skin is golden brown after searing. You may need to regulate the heat of the pan to prevent it from scorching and also cook in batches if necessary, as if you crowd the pan too much the skin of the chicken will steam rather then brown. Season the chicken well before it goes into the oven as this will also help the flavour. You can also try uncovering the pan for the last 15 minutes of cooking as this will help the skin to crisp up again slightly after the chicken has cooked.
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