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1
Heat oven to 450 F with the rack in the middle of the oven.
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2
Toss garlic in a microwave-safe bowl with half of the oil and the sugar.
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3
Microwave garlic until slightly softened, with light brown spotting, about 3 to 4 minutes, stirring halfway through the cook time.
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4
Set aside when done.
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5
Combine cornstarch and water in a small bowl and set aside.
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6
Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
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7
Heat remaining oil in a 12-inch oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking.
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8
Place chicken in the skillet, skin side down.
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9
Cook until skin is well browned, 7 to 10 minutes.
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10
Transfer chicken to a plate, skin side up.
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11
Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the skillet.
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12
Reduce heat to medium-low, add shallots (if using) and cook until softened, about 3 minutes.
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13
Add the garlic, and cook until evenly browned, about 1 minute.
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14
Remove skillet from heat and add sherry.
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15
Return skillet to medium heat and bring sherry to simmer, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
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16
Cook until sherry coats garlic and pan is nearly dry, about 4 minutes.
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17
Stir in broth, cream, cornstarch mixture, thyme, rosemary, cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes and bay leaf and simmer until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes.
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18
Return chicken to skillet, skin side up, along with any accumulated juices from the plate.
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19
Transfer skillet to oven and bake until chicken registers 175 F, roughly 18 to 22 minutes.
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20
Remove from oven.
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21
Transfer chicken and half of the garlic to a serving dish.
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22
Discard thyme and bay leaf.
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23
Using a potato masher, mash remaining garlic into the sauce, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
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24
Pour half of the sauce around the chicken.
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25
Serve with remaining sauce, separately.
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26
Recipe slightly adapted from Cooks Illustrated.
