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Garlic can help lower heart disease risk by as much as 76 per cent by moderately reducing cholesterol levels.
By Bonnie Stern and Fran Berkoff
The taste of garlic and other spices drizzled over juicy chicken will be a big hit at dinner.
Bonnie says: This recipe shows how tender and sweet garlic becomes when it is braised. Serve with slices of baguette—the garlic will be soft enough to spread on the bread—and drizzle with the pistou. (Pistou is to the French what pesto is to the Italians, but it usually has no pine nuts or cheese.)
Fran says: Pistou is lower in fat, calories and sodium than is commercial pesto. It’s also a source of heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, vitamins A, C, E and K, and calcium.
Ingredients
8 pieces chicken (breasts or thighs, or some of each), bone in, skin on or off
salt and pepper
2 tbsp (25 mL) olive oil
40 cloves garlic, peeled but left whole (about 4 heads)
1 onion, chopped
½ cup (125 mL) dry white wine or chicken stock
½ cup (125 mL) chicken stock
1 tbsp (15 mL) chopped fresh thyme
1 tsp (5 mL) salt
¼ tsp (1 mL) freshly ground black pepper
Pistou:
1 cup (250 mL) fresh basil leaves
½ cup (125 mL) fresh parsley leaves
1 clove garlic
½ tsp (2 mL) salt
¼ tsp (1 mL) freshly ground black pepper
½ cup (125 mL) extra virgin olive oil
Get Cooking!
1. Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large deep skillet, add chicken and brown on both sides (about 3 to 5 minutes per side). Remove chicken and add garlic and onion pieces to pan. Cook gently until lightly browned. Add wine, then add chicken stock; bring to a boil. Add thyme, salt and pepper. Return chicken pieces to pan, spoon sauce over chicken and cover surface with a round of parchment paper. Cover with lid. Cook gently on stovetop or in the oven at 350°F (180°C) for 25 to 30 minutes, until chicken is cooked through and garlic is very tender.
2. Meanwhile, make pistou by chopping basil, parsley and garlic together in a food processor. Add salt and pepper. Drizzle in olive oil.
3. Arrange chicken and cooked garlic on a platter, then drizzle with pistou.
Makes 6 to 8 servings.
Photo by Benoît Levac; Food Stylist: Marie-Éve Charron; Prop Stylist: Irène Garavelli.
Read more about how to pick the best herbs and spices, how to store and how to prepare them in Key Ingredients: Herbs.
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