"ALMOST CONFIT" OF CHICKEN WITH MELTED GARLIC

Number Of Ingredients 7

8 large bone-in chicken thighs, 8 ounces each
14 large garlic cloves, peeled
1-1/2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, plus sprigs for garnish
6 fresh bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
freshly ground nutmeg

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Put the chicken in a large bowl. Press 2 garlic cloves through a press and rub into the chicken. Add the thyme leaves, bay leaves, allspice, white pepper, and 1-1/2 teaspoons salt. Grate some nutmeg over the chicken and toss. Place the chicken in a roasting pan, skin side down. (I use an enamel paella pan.) Cover the pan tightly with foil and bake 45 minutes. Turn the chicken skin side up and scatter the remaining garlic cloves around. Re-cover and bake 1 hour longer. Turn on the broiler. Uncover the chicken and broil several inches from the heat for 5 to 10 minutes, until the skin is crispy. Discard the bay leaves and garnish with thyme sprigs. Serves 4