Garlic Chicken with White Wine Sauce

Recipe adapted from www.simplyrecipes.com

Ingredients
• 2 chicken breasts & 2 drumsticks (or whatever chicken pieces you prefer)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 whole head of garlic, cloves separated but not peeled
• Olive oil
• About 1 cup white wine,
• Tarragon
• Thyme

Lightly smash the garlic cloves with the side of a heavy chef's knife, just enough to break the cloves. Leave peel on.**

Pat the chicken pieces dry and sprinkle pieces generously with salt and pepper.

Heat 3 Tbsp. olive oil in a Dutch oven (or a large thick-bottom pan with a tight fitting cover) on medium high. Brown the chicken pieces on all sides. Lay the chicken pieces on the hot oil, do not move until browned, then turn over to other side using tongs. Remove from pan when browned.

Add a little more olive oil to the pan if necessary. Add the garlic and sauté until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Add the wine and the herbs. Bring to a boil. Add the chicken pieces. Reduce the heat to medium low. Cover the pan and simmer until the chicken is cooked through. Move the chicken pieces from top to bottom every 5 minutes for about 20 minutes. Chicken is done when a meat thermometer inserted into thickest part reads 180°F for thighs and 170°F for breasts.

Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer chicken pieces to a platter; spoon garlic sauce over the chicken.

Serve alone or with rice, noodles, baked or mashed potatoes.

**Leaving the peels on the garlic is traditional in Mexican cooking. The peels do have flavor, much like the shells of shrimp. You don’t eat them, but when the dish is done, the garlic just slips out of them.