Serves four
6 chicken legs and thighs, with skin and bones
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
About 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, or more to taste
Olive oil for sautéing
About 3 to 4 cups full bodied red wine
10 raw cloves garlic, peeled, left whole
10 whole cloves garlic confit,
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons tomato paste
To prepare:
Preheat the oven to 275 to 300 degrees F.
Wash the chicken with coldwater, drain, and pat dry with paper towels. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and thyme. In a heavy casserole dish that will accommodate the chicken in one layer, set the pan over moderate high heat, coat the bottom with oil and place the chicken skin side down in the dish. Sauté until brown on both sides, about five to six minutes per side. Add enough wine to almost cover the chicken, toss raw and confit of garlic and bay leaf into the wine, cover, and bring to a boil. Stir tomato paste into the sauce.
Transfer the casserole to the oven and bake until the juices run clear when pierced with a two-pronged fork, and the chicken is very tender (nearly falling off the bone), about two hours.
Note: if using white meat baking time will be less. Can be done ahead and reheated.
To serve, transfer chicken and garlic to a side dish and tent to keep warm. Discard the bay leaf and set the casserole on high heat. Bring the sauce to a boil and reduce about five minutes. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Serve chicken over pilaf with several cloves of garlic and pass the au jus sauce at the table.
SEE RELATED RECIPES:
CONFIT OF GARLIC
ROASTED ASPARAGUS WITH GARLIC AND CHERRY TOMATOES