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1
Heat oven to 375F.
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2
Wash and pat dry chicken.
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3
Salt and pepper each side.
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4
I use chicken breasts, as that is all my family will eat.
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5
No dark meat in this house, but a pick of the chix or cut up fryer would work well, too.
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6
Heat olive oil and butter in a Dutch oven on the stove top.
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7
(If you dont have a Dutch oven, you can simply use a frying pan, but have a glass baking dish with lidor I suppose, if desperate, tinfoilavailable for transfer.)
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8
Once butter has melted into the oil, place the chicken in, starting with the skin side down.
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9
Brown until lightly golden, and flip, usually just 3-5 minutes a side.
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10
You may need to do this in batches if you are using a smaller dish.
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11
You can add more oil/butter if needed for browning without destroying the dish.
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12
Remove from heat.
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13
If you are using a fry pan rather than a Dutch oven, at this point place chicken in your baking dish in a single layer.
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14
Pour juices from the pan over the chicken.
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15
Juice your lemon and add to your white wine.
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16
Pour onto the chicken.
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17
Peel all the garlic cloves.
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18
Easiest method I have found is to cut off the pointed end of each head of garlic and place them in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for approximately 30 seconds.
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19
Adjust as needed for your microwave.
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20
Allow to cool slightly, and the skins will peel off very easily.
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21
Evenly disperse all the peeled garlic cloves in the baking dish, including on top of your chicken.
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22
I occasionally use more than 4 heads of garlic, just depends on my mood, so dont be afraid to use more if your family loves garlic.
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23
Add whole sprigs of thyme across your chicken.
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24
Cover and bake for 40 minutes.
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25
Remove the cover and bake uncovered for an additional 15-20 minutes or until chicken is tender and juices run clear.
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26
This baking time is how long my chicken usually takes, but again I only use thick chicken breasts.
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27
Smaller cuts of chicken will cook quicker, so keep an eye on it depending on what size/type of chicken you use.
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28
Also, crowding the chicken in the pan will increase your cooking time.
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29
Please allow chicken to stand for 5 minutes before serving.
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30
The garlic in this dish is very tender and a little on the sweet side.
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31
Scoop some out (without the liquids) and mash it up into a pretty serving bowl.
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32
Serve as a spread for your French bread.
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33
Enjoy!
