If you like garlic and French cuisine you will love this recipe. It is creamy and garlicky, what else could you ask for? It's simple to make and elegant. Of course, it's French cuisine.
It was given to me by an English friend who lives in a bucolic town in France and whose goal in life is to taste every single variety of French cheese. Needless to say she is a fabulous cook. Told ya, I'm surrounded by them!
When my family and I went to visit her and her husband, they basically had to shove us out of the door. We could have stayed there forever.
There is something special about them as people and something magic about their home. A sense of harmony and simplicity, introspection, love of the arts and wisdom.
My children, 8 and 9 then and now adults, still talk about that trip. Out of all the cool things we did (snowboarding, castles, Louvre, Eiffel Tour, etc) the one that is vividly engraved in our memories is the feeling of peace and calm that emanated from their home and their hearts embracing us with acceptance, patience and comprehension. We will be forever grateful of them for sharing with us their piece of paradise.
Whenever I eat this chicken I close my eyes and let my senses transport me to French Shangri-La!
What You Need:
- 8 garlic cloves whole with the skin
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter (real butter please, our body does not acknowledge margarine as food)
- 1 lb chicken breasts - washed / dried with paper towel - seasoned with salt and pepper (you can use the breasts with skin and bone)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 cup white wine or dry cider
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
What To Do:
Gather your ingredients. Have everything ready. This helps a lot. While preparing the ingredients, which is a PAIN IN THE NECK, put some nice music to distract you. French music s'il vous plaît!.
Bring water to a boil in a small saucepan and drop the garlic with the skins.
Leave them for 4 min in the boiling water. They will soften a bit.
Scoop them out with a slotted spoon.
Remove the skins. Reserve.
Warm olive oil in a skillet and melt the butter over medium high heat.
When the butter sizzles add the chicken.
Fry both sides until golden brown a matter or 3-4 minutes.
Turn the heat to the lowest setting add the garlic and the bay leaf.
Cover the pan and let it cook for 15-20 min.
The butter and oil mix will turn into a golden color. Be careful not to let it burn.
Check if the chicken is cooked through by making a cut on the thickest part. You should not have any pink meat.
Take the chicken out of the skillet. Set aside.
Turn the heat up pour in wine and bring it to a boil.
Mash the garlic into the bubbling wine with a wooden spoon, scraping the tasty crusty bits that have caught on the side of the pan.
If the sauce is not thick enough keep stirring until it gets to the desired consistency.
Look at the first picture above to see the consistency of the sauce.
Taste and add salt and pepper from the mill if necessary.
Return the chicken to the pan and turn it to coat the chicken.
Reduce heat to low and let the sauce boil for 2-3 min then serve.
Bon Appétit!
Suggestion: Serve with green beans or your favorite vegetable and white rice.
FYI:
Every time I make a dish with lots of cream or any kind of sauce I like to serve it with steamed vegetables so I don't add unnecessary flavors neither calories.
