Chicken with 40 cloves of garlic served with bacon, brussel sprouts, and rice noodles.

I really love the simplicity of this dish and that it’s a one pot meal when cooked in the wok. Miss 2 even ate a brussel sprout after licking all the gravy off it!

Ingredients

• 40 cloves of garlic (peeled; hard end cut off; cut in half any large cloves)
• 3 large skinless, boneless chicken breasts (cut in half)
  • You can use chicken tenderloins or thighs instead.
• Neutral oil (i.e. Rice Bran Oil)
• Salt & Pepper
• 3 cups chicken stock + 1/2 cup in reserve
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1T dried basil
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 2T fine white rice flour
• Optional: 2 chopped rashers of bacon (middle or shoulder)
• Optional: approx. 8 brussel sprouts (chopped in half)
• Optional: Wild Mushroom Powder

Allergies: soy free, gluten free, dairy free, egg free, nut free.

Directions

1. In a large skillet / frying pan / electric wok, heat the oil.
2. Put in the chicken and garlic. Once the chicken is partially cooked, put in the bacon and brussel sprouts to cook as well.
3. Cook until the chicken is browned on both sides.
4. Add 3 cups of the chicken stock, lemon juice, basil, and oregano. You may want to keep back some of the lemon juice and add after tasting (it can be quite a strong flavour).
5. Bring mixture to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
   • Note: If you want to serve with rice noodles, you can rinse the noodles under hot water until you are able to separate them and then cook them in the simmering broth. Not only will this help to reduce the broth but the noodles taste amazing!
   • Taste the broth and add salt + pepper to liking. If you’d like slightly more umami flavour, consider adding  a dash of one of the following: coconut amino acids, wild mushroom powder, soy sauce, or hoisin sauce.* Food allergies will impact choice.
6. In a small bowl or cup, whisk the rice flour and 1/c of reserved chicken stock. Add this slurry to the cooking mixture and cook until the sauce thickens (you may need to increase the heat).
7. Serve with rice noodles, rice, or mashed potatoes.

Note: The secret to this recipe is to lightly sear the outside of the garlic cloves – you want them to go soft, sweet, and squishy inside (like when roasted (otherwise the garlic can be a bit overwhelming). In the traditional French recipe the cloves are left intact (skin on) and the dish is cooked in the oven (then you suck out the gooey inner and discard the skin).

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