MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.06
 
      Title: Chicken A La Poitevine
 Categories: Chicken
      Yield: 6 Servings
 
      3 lb Roasting chicken
      2 tb Butter
      1 tb Oil
           L4 pt Brandy
      1    Garlic head
           Salt & pepper
 
  Joint the chicken into the usual 7 pieces or buy 2 to 3 lb chicken
  portions. Separate the head of garlic into cloves and peel them.
  Don't be put off by the quantity of garlic it doesn't taint the
  breath at all. Above all, don't reduce the proportion.
  
  In a large casserole, heat the oil with the butter until the froth
  subsides. Don't let the butter bum. A few pieces at a time, fry the
  carefully dried chicken joints on both sides, turning once only. You
  don't want to cook them, just brown them lightly.
  
  As soon as they are all cooked, pour off the excess fat trying to
  keep any crusty bits in the pan. I put a knife blade on the edge just
  to let through the fat. Return the browned chicken to the hot
  casserole, and still over moderate heat, pour over half the brandy,
  which you have warmed gently in a ladle. Set light to it, shaking
  until the flames subside. Watch out for your hair!
  
  Reduce heat, pour over the brandy, add the whole garlic, cloves,
  season generously with freshly ground pepper. Cook 20 to 40 minutes
  depending on how well cooked you like your chicken done, or until
  tender. For modern broilers 20 minutes is long enough for them to be
  tender. For older free-range chicken, 40 minutes may not be long
  enough! You will have a few tablespoonful of sauce. Correct seasoning
  and serve very hot. The garlic cloves will be deliciously edible.
  
  This recipe was invented through the force of circumstances, when we
  were camping in the Medoc. We hadn't really thought about shopping,
  as we were spending all our time visiting great Bordeaux Chateaux.
  We had some garlic, a chicken, and of course some brandy, so
  remembering a very similar dish based on slices of mutton, and
  another where a chicken is baked on a whole pound of garlic, this
  is what I came up with. It's been a firm favourite ever since.
  
  Recipe by Ian Hoare
 
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