Garlic Chicken
- 1 4 pound chicken, cut into 8 pieces - bone in
- 6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- Peel of one lemon, pith removed and thinly sliced
- Fresh thyme
- 1/2 cup flour
- Sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup dry sherry
- A few handfuls mustard greens, for serving
- Rustic Bread, sliced and nicely toasted, for serving
Rinse chicken parts and pat dry. Place in bowl and add garlic, lemon peel and thyme. Toss to distribute seasoning. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour - ideally overnight. Do not be dissuaded from trying recipe if time does not allow for this step. Simply skip and try the slow version another time.
Remove chicken from fridge. Scrap away seasoning and reserve. Season flour with a generous pinch of salt and fresh pepper. Coat chicken in flour and shake off excess. Heat olive oil in large heavy skillet; Place chicken, skin side down in skillet and cook until skin is golden and crisp - the chicken should easily release from the pan - if it does not it probably is not brown enough. Work in batches if necessary so not to overcrowd skillet. Turn chicken and cook bottom side about 5 minutes. Remove chicken from skillet and transfer to a plate. Deglaze skillet with sherry, using a wooden spoon to loosen any cooked on flavorful bits. Add reserved garlic, lemon and thyme and cook quickly - just until brown. Return all the chicken to skillet and add enough water that chicken is just over 1/2 way submerged. Bring liquid to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer until chicken is very tender and easily pulls away from the bone, about 40 minutes. Adjust season with salt and pepper. Serve chicken over greens and toast with all the delicious juices spooned on top.