- 1 chicken, 3-4 pound, cut into 8 serving pieces, trimmed of excess skin and fat
- Salt and pepper
- 2 Tbsp canola oil
- 4 heads garlic, separated into cloves, unpeeled
- 1/4 C dry white wine
- 1 Tbsp fresh thyme
Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper. In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, warm the canola oil. Working in batches if necessary, add the chicken and cook, turning frequently, until well browned, 7-10 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Pour off all but 2 Tbsp of the fat in the pan. Add the garlic cloves and saute over medium-high heat until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Pour in the wine and deglaze the pan, stirring and scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.
Stove Top: transfer chicken to a Dutch oven. Sprinkle with the thyme and add the garlic mixture. Cover and cook until the chicken is tender and opaque throughout, about 45 minutes.
Slow Cooker: Transfer the chicken to a slow cooker. Sprinkle with the thyme and add the garlic mixture. Cover and cook until the chicken is tender and opaque throughout, 3 hours on the low-heat setting.
Transfer the chicken to a platter and cover loosely with aluminum foil to keep warm. Set a fine-mesh sieve over a saucepan and strain the pan juices. Press on the garlic cloves to extract as much liquid and pulp as possible. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat and season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer the chicken to a warmed platter and top with the sauce.
William Sonoma