Christopher Ranch Garlic is The Stinking Rose muse

Garlic aka stinking rose is muse for the aptly named San Fran restaurant, The Stinking Rose, where Chef Andrea Froncillo, presides.

Froncillo shared his 40 Cloves Garlic Chicken with  local garlic producers Christopher Ranch who in turn generously shared with yours truly.

A rose by any other name stinks.

40 Cloves Garlic Chicken

Type of dish:    Entree

Yield:     Four servings

Ingredients:

1 large (2 1/2 to 3 pound) broiler-fryer chicken

MARINADE

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons CHRISTOPHER RANCH Heirloom Garlic, minced
Leaves from 1 sprig rosemary, minced
Salt and freshly ground pepper

SAUCE

1 cup dry red wine
1 shallot, quartered
4 Heirloom Garlic cloves, chopped
Leaves from 1 sprig rosemary, minced
Leaves from 2 sprigs thyme, minced
1 1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into chunks
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups roasted Heirloom Garlic cloves

Preparation:

Remove the giblets from the chicken and reserve for another use. With a large, sharp knife, cut the chicken in half lengthwise, then cut in half crosswise to separate the breast from the thighs.

To make the marinade:

Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl. Put the chicken parts in a heavy resealable plastic bag, pour the marinade over the chicken, and seal the bag. Work your hands over the bag until the liquid covers all the chicken parts. Place the bag in the refrigerator for one to three hours.

To make the sauce:

In a heavy saucepan, combine the wine, shallot, garlic, rosemary, and thyme. Bring to a boil over high heat, then decrease the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, for two to three minutes. Gradually stir in the cream and cook to reduce the liquid by one-third, about 10 minutes. Add the butter in batches, stirring to melt. Season with salt and pepper. Pass the sauce through a fine-meshed sieve, cover, and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350 F degrees. Put the chicken in a heavy baking dish and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, turn the chicken pieces over, and baste with the pan juices. Return to the oven and bake for another 20 minutes, or until the skin is crackly and golden brown and the meat is opaque throughout.

Arrange the chicken on a serving platter. Pour the warm sauce over the chicken and sprinkle with the Heirloom roasted garlic cloves. Serve immediately.