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Chicken thighs with 40 cloves of garlic, chard and heritage carrots

Golden, tender chicken thighs braised in a rich, velvety white wine and garlic sauce featuring forty cloves of sweet, mellow garlic. Finished with vibrant Swiss chard, tender heritage carrots, and fresh herbs, this comforting dish delivers deeply aromatic, restaurant-quality flavours straight from your oven.

Prep:30 minutes
Cook:45 minutes
Serves:Serves 4
Dietary:Nut-free
Chicken thighs with 40 cloves of garlic, chard and heritage carrotsBy Matt Tebbutt
From Saturday Kitchen Recipes

Nutri-Score D rating for chicken thighs with 40 cloves of garlic
Nutri-Score D — This hearty chicken casserole with garlic, cream, and butter is rich and satisfying. While loaded with wholesome vegetables like Swiss chard and heritage carrots, the generous use of double cream, butter, and chicken thighs makes it higher in saturated fats. Enjoy it as a comforting weekend treat.

Per serving (approximate): 620 kcal | 42g fat | 18g saturated fat | 15g carbohydrates | 6g sugars | 4g fibre | 45g protein | 1.4g salt

Equipment

Ingredients

For the vegetables and chicken

  • 2–3 heads Swiss chard, leaves stripped from the stalks
  • 4 heritage carrots, trimmed, carrot tops reserved if present
  • 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 30g unsalted butter
  • 2 banana shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 40 garlic cloves, unpeeled

For the braising sauce and herbs

  • 150ml dry white wine
  • 300ml chicken stock
  • 2 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 20g thyme sprigs
  • 2 tbsp chopped tarragon stalks and leaves
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 150ml double cream
  • 1 lemon, juice only, to taste
  • 1 tbsp chopped parsley and tarragon
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper

Customise

  • Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs → Chicken supremes or bone-in chicken breasts work well, though thighs stay the juiciest
  • Swiss chard → Spinach or cavolo nero make fantastic leafy green alternatives
  • Heritage carrots → Standard orange carrots or parsnips can easily replace heritage carrots
  • Double cream → Crème fraîche provides a lovely tangy alternative to double cream
  • Dry white wine → Extra chicken stock with a splash of white wine vinegar replaces the wine

Method

Stage 1 — Prep the Vegetables and Brown the Chicken (20 minutes)

  1. Preheat your oven. Set your oven to 200°C / 180°C Fan / Gas 6 so it is piping hot and ready for braising.
  2. Blanch the Swiss chard. Briefly plunge the stripped Swiss chard leaves into boiling salted water until wilted, then drain them thoroughly and set aside.
  3. Boil the heritage carrots. Cut your heritage carrots into neat 8cm batons. Pop them into a saucepan of salted water, bring to the boil, and cook until tender. Leave them to cool right in their cooking water to keep them moist.
  4. Sear the chicken thighs. Season your bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs generously with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large ovenproof casserole over medium-high heat. Lay the chicken skin-side down and let it sizzle undisturbed for about 8 minutes until deep golden-brown. Flip and cook for another couple of minutes before lifting the chicken out and setting it aside.

Stage 2 — Build the Garlic Braising Sauce (10 minutes, can overlap with searing)

  1. Sauté shallots and garlic. Drop the thinly sliced banana shallots and all 40 unpeeled garlic cloves straight into the flavoursome chicken fat left in the casserole. Cook gently over a medium heat, then stir in the butter until melted and fragrant.
  2. Deglaze with wine. Pour in the dry white wine and let it bubble vigorously for 2 to 3 minutes, using a wooden spoon to scrape up all those delicious caramelised bits stuck to the bottom of the pan.
  3. Add stock and aromatics. Stir in the rich chicken stock, Dijon mustard, fresh thyme sprigs, tarragon stalks, and bay leaves. Bring everything to a gentle, welcoming simmer.

Stage 3 — Braise in the Oven (35–45 minutes, largely hands-off)

  1. Nestle and bake. Return your golden chicken thighs to the casserole skin-side up, resting them snugly amongst the garlic cloves and aromatic broth. Pop the lid on and transfer the casserole to the preheated oven to braise for 25 to 35 minutes.
  2. Crisp the skin. Carefully remove the lid for the final 10 minutes of cooking. This lets the sauce reduce slightly and ensures the chicken skin crisps up to golden perfection.
  3. Rest the chicken. Take the casserole out of the oven, lift out the chicken thighs, and set them aside. Fish out and discard the woody thyme and tarragon stalks along with the bay leaves.

Stage 4 — Finish the Sauce and Assemble (10 minutes)

  1. Thicken the creamy sauce. Place your casserole back on the hob over medium heat and stir in the double cream. Simmer gently for 3 to 5 minutes until the sauce thickens into a glossy, luxurious richness.
  2. Season and combine. Squeeze in fresh lemon juice to taste, seasoning with extra salt and pepper if needed. Stir through the freshly chopped parsley and tarragon, then gently fold in your blanched chard and drained carrot batons.
  3. Bring it all together. Nestle the golden chicken thighs back into the bubbling creamy garlic sauce. Garnish with your reserved carrot tops if you have them, and serve piping hot straight from the casserole dish.

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