Almost Confit Chicken With Melted Garlic Food

ROASTED CHICKEN WITH GARLIC CONFIT

Steps:

• Put oven rack in upper third of oven and preheat oven to 500°F.
• Cook garlic, thyme, and 3/4 cup oil in a 1- to 1 1/2-quart heavy saucepan over low heat, uncovered, until garlic is very tender but not golden, about 25 minutes.
• While garlic is cooking, pat chicken pieces dry and rub all over with butter and remaining tablespoon oil. Sprinkle all over with salt and pepper. Arrange chicken, skin sides up, in a shallow baking pan and roast 20 minutes.
• Transfer garlic to a small bowl along with 1 tablespoon garlic oil and mash with a fork. Spread mashed garlic over skin of roasted chicken, then return chicken to oven and roast until just cooked through and skin is crisp, about 5 minutes.

CHICKEN CONFIT

Steps:

• Lay the leg portions on a platter, skin side down. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of the kosher salt and black pepper. Place the garlic cloves, bay leaves, and sprigs of thyme on each of 2 leg portions. Lay the remaining 2 leg portions, flesh to flesh, on top. Put the reserved fat from the chicken in the bottom of a glass or plastic container. Top with the sandwiched leg portions. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt. Cover and refrigerate for 12 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.
• Remove the chicken from the refrigerator. Remove the garlic, bay leaves, thyme, and chicken fat and reserve. Rinse the chicken with cool water, rubbing off some of the salt and pepper. Pat dry with paper towels.
• Put the reserved garlic, bay leaves, thyme, and chicken fat in the bottom of an enameled cast iron pot. Sprinkle evenly with the peppercorns and salt. Lay the chicken on top, skin side down. Add the olive oil. Cover and bake for 12 to 14 hours, or until the meat pulls away from the bone.
• Remove the chicken from the fat. Strain the fat and reserve. Pick the meat from the bones and place it in a stoneware container. Cover the meat with some of the strained fat so that there is a 1/4-inch layer of fat on top. The chicken confit can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.
• The excess oil can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator and used like butter for cooking. The tinge of chicken taste in the oil is wonderful and I use the oil to roast potatoes, cook green beans, and pan-fry veal.

CHICKEN CONFIT

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 250ºF.
• Two options to heat the chicken: In the oven : Preheat the oven to 400°F. Remove the chicken from the oil and scrape off some of the congealed oil. Set them on a rimmed baking sheet or roasting pan, skin side-up. Roast for 25 minutes, until the skin is golden brown and crisp. On the stovetop : In a large non-stick skillet over medium-low heat, add the chicken skin side-down. Cook until the skin is golden brown and crisp, about 10 minutes. Flip the chicken over and cook the other side for 2 to 3 minutes to finish warming them through.

"ALMOST CONFIT" OF CHICKEN WITH MELTED GARLIC

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Put the chicken in a large bowl. Press 2 garlic cloves through a press and rub into the chicken. Add the thyme leaves, bay leaves, allspice, white pepper, and 1-1/2 teaspoons salt. Grate some nutmeg over the chicken and toss. Place the chicken in a roasting pan, skin side down. (I use an enamel paella pan.) Cover the pan tightly with foil and bake 45 minutes. Turn the chicken skin side up and scatter the remaining garlic cloves around. Re-cover and bake 1 hour longer. Turn on the broiler. Uncover the chicken and broil several inches from the heat for 5 to 10 minutes, until the skin is crispy. Discard the bay leaves and garnish with thyme sprigs. Serves 4