Chicken with 40 cloves of garlic and lemon gravy

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C (fan-forced).
2. Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towel. Place a flameproof casserole dish, large enough to fit all the chicken in a single layer, over medium–high heat; you'll need one with a tight-fitting lid. Add the olive oil and butter then add half the chicken, skin side down, and brown well for about 5 minutes. Turn the chicken and brown the other side for about 3–4 minutes. Remove to a plate and brown the remaining chicken pieces in the same way, then add them to the plate.
3. Drain the excess fat from the dish. Reduce the heat, add the wine to the pan and leave to simmer for 1–2 minutes.
4. Stir in the stock, scatter in a handful of the garlic cloves, then return all the chicken to the pan, fitting it in snugly in a single layer. Add the thyme sprigs, bay leaf and lemon halves, then tuck the remaining garlic cloves in around the chicken.
5. Remove the casserole dish from the heat. Cover with a double layer of foil, tightly sealing the edges, then place the lid on. Transfer to the oven and roast for 1¼ hours.
6. Remove the dish from the oven. Transfer the chicken and garlic to a plate, leaving about 10 cloves of garlic and all the juices in the dish. Loosely cover the chicken with foil to keep warm.
7. Using a spoon, press down on the garlic cloves in the casserole dish to release them from their skins. Discard the skins, and mash the garlic into the juices.
8. Place the dish back over medium–high heat. Mix 2–3 tablespoons of the juices with the flour until smooth, then add to the dish and stir well, cooking for a few minutes until the gravy has thickened. Remove from the heat and return the chicken and garlic cloves to the dish. Serve with crusty bread, to mop up all the juices, and to spread the garlic over.