40 Cloves of Garlic and the Art of Slow Cooking Through a Storm
A Cozy Classic for a Winter Storm: Slow Cooking, 40 Cloves of Garlic, and the Joy of Letting Things Simmer
Something about winter storms makes me crave a meal that feels like a hug. Not the polite, pat-on-the-back kind, but the full-body, “haven’t-seen-you-in-years” embrace. A meal that perfumes the house, fills the belly, and makes the long, dark evening feel just a little cozier. So, as the snow piled up outside and the wind howled against the windows, I decided to slow things down and cook from scratch—starting with an old French classic: Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic.
A Dish Steeped in History (and Garlic)
The name alone sounds dramatic, almost excessive—because, really, 40 cloves of garlic? But this dish isn’t a pungent garlic bomb. It’s alchemy. Slow-cooked garlic transforms from sharp and fiery to buttery, sweet, and intensely aromatic. It melts into the sauce, infusing every bite with warmth.
This dish has roots in Provençal cuisine, where simple, rustic cooking meets rich, layered flavors. Some versions trace back to the Middle Ages when garlic was prized for its medicinal properties (not just for warding off vampires, though that was a bonus). French home cooks found that slow-cooking whole cloves with tender chicken created something magical—an effortlessly luxurious dish made from pantry staples.
Cooking From Scratch: A Lesson in Patience
In a world obsessed with shortcuts, cooking from scratch feels almost radical. It requires time, attention, and a willingness to let flavors develop naturally. But there’s something deeply grounding about peeling garlic, browning the chicken, deglazing a pan, and letting everything slowly transform into something more than the sum of its parts.
The beauty of 40 Clove Garlic Chicken is that it’s a one-pot wonder. Simple, unfussy ingredients—chicken, garlic, herbs, a good glug of white wine—turn into a profoundly comforting dish with almost no effort. The hardest part? Waiting while it simmers, letting the storm rage outside while the kitchen fills with the scent of golden, roasted garlic and slow-cooked chicken.
The Recipe: Nigella Lawson’s Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic
This recipe comes straight from Nigella Lawson, who knows a thing or two about food that comforts without overcomplicating things. After a couple of times of preparing this dish, I encourage you to do what I do, toss the recipe out the window, and just cook from the heart.
Ingredients
8 chicken thighs (you can also use 1 (3 1/2-pound) chicken, cut into 8 pieces - especially if you raise your own or buy from an area farmer. I just don’t like the taste of store-bought industrial white meat if I can avoid it)
1/2 cup olive oil
10 sprigs thyme
1 tablespoon of fresh rosemary leaves
40 cloves garlic, peeled
2 tablespoons dry white vermouth or white wine
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
Black pepper, to taste
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 300 F
Heat the olive oil in a large pan or Dutch oven over medium heat.
Brown the chicken pieces in the Dutch oven on both sides, working in batches if necessary. Remove and set aside.
Add the rosemary, thyme, and half the garlic to the pan, stirring to coat in the oil. Let cook for a couple of minutes, just until fragrant.
Deglaze the pan with the vermouth or wine, scraping up any browned bits.
Return the chicken to the pan, nestling it among the garlic cloves. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper.
Place the remaining garlic cloves over the top of the chicken (I sometimes like to tuck a clove under the skin of each thigh)
Cover and cook for 1 hour.
Remove the lid and cook for 30 more minutes. The garlic should be meltingly soft and the chicken tender.
Serve: This dish practically demands a crusty loaf of bread to smear the roasted garlic on, but mashed potatoes or rice work beautifully, too.
Cozy Nights and Cooking as Ritual
As I sat down to eat, the storm still swirling outside, I wondered why I love cooking meals like this. It’s not just about the end result—it’s all about the process—the rhythm of chopping, stirring, waiting, the way the house smells as something slow-cooks, and the reminder that some things take time, and that’s exactly how they should be.
So, if the world feels a little chaotic or the weather has you stuck inside, take this as your invitation to slow down. Peel the garlic, let it simmer, and cozy up with a glass of wine and a plate of something warming and delicious.
And if you’re dealing with a winter storm of your own, well—at least the kitchen will be warm.