You will find that the garlic has been tamed in the cooking and acquired a delicious buttery quality. Serve with hot toast or thin slices of pumpernickel—to be spread with the garlic sauce.

　　

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

　　8 chicken leg quarters

　　2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

　　4 celery ribs, thinly sliced

　　6 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley

　　1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh tarragon or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried tarragon

　　1/2 cup dry vermouth

　　2 1/2 teaspoons salt

　　1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

　　Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

　　40 garlic cloves, crushed under a knife and peeled

　　

Step 1

Wash the chicken legs and thighs and thoroughly dry with paper towels. Put the oil in a shallow dish or a plate and turn the chicken in the oil to coat on all sides. Reserve the unused oil. Lay the sliced celery in the bottom of a heavy casserole or Dutch oven (not uncoated cast iron) with a tight-fitting lid. Add the parsley and tarragon, then lay the chicken pieces on top. Pour the vermouth over the chicken, and add 1 teaspoon salt, the pepper, and the nutmeg.

　　

Step 2

Pour the reserved oil into the casserole, then toss in all the garlic and sprinkle with the remaining salt. Put a piece of aluminum foil over the casserole and then cover to make a tight seal; or make a thick, heavy flour and water paste to seal the lid, and cover the lid and paste with another layer of foil. Bake in a preheated 375°F oven for 1 1/2 hours without removing the lid. To serve remove the foil (or break and remove the flour paste seal) and serve hot, from the pot.

　　From The Essential James Beard Cookbook: 450 Recipes That Shaped the Tradition of American Cooking by James Beard. Copyright © 2012 by Reed College and John Ferrone. Published by St. Martin's Press.