Ingredients:
1 package boneless chicken thighs (6-8 thighs)
salt and pepper
1 Tbsp. butter + 1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 very large onion chopped, about 2 cups
8-12 heads of new garlic (newly harvested, i.e., fresh, not cured garlic – find at your local farmers market)
Several large sprigs of fresh thyme
1 large sprig of rosemary
1 cup white wine (I used a dry riesling)
Fresh parsley as garnish (optional, but beautiful, tasty, and also easy if you have some growing in a pot on your windowsill or herb garden)

Directions:
Generously season the chicken thighs with salt and freshly ground pepper.

Heat oven to 375 degrees. In a Dutch oven on the stove-top, heat the butter and olive oil, add onions and cook on medium heat until browned but not overcooked (5-8 minutes). (Special Note: I used my 6 quart Dutch oven but a smaller one could also be used ok.)

Cut roots and top/stalk from garlic head, peel any tough outer wrappers from the garlic heads. Cut each in half from top to bottom. (Special Note: If the garlic bulbs are hard-neck varieties, you may also slip out the hard stalk from the center of each half.)  Add garlic halves to onions, season with a bit more salt and pepper, stir to coat completely. Place herb sprigs on top of onion and garlic mixture then add chicken thighs in one layer.

Add wine and 1 cup of water. Bring to a simmer on the stove top and then cover the Dutch oven and transfer to the oven. Bake for 35 minutes, covered. Remove lid, bake for an additional 10 minutes or until chicken has browned and juices run clear. Let it rest out of the oven for 10 minutes if you can wait that long!

Serve 1-2 pieces of chicken with juices, onion, garlic halves on top of cooked pasta or rice (I used lightly pan-fried polenta pieces but I almost cooked up some lasagna noodles I had on hand).

Serve with any fresh vegetable and salad. I added some left-over braised summer squash and tomato mixture to the Dutch oven mixture while the chicken dish was ‘resting’.

Seriously, this recipe is delicious. Don’t be afraid of all the garlic. I’m going to make this recipe weekly as long as we are harvesting garlic and have ‘new garlic’ in spades.

Photos of this recipe are posted on Diana’s blog at www.dianadyer.com.