As a cookery student in London, this was one of my favourite chicken dishes. Don't baulk at the amount of garlic - as it is unpeeled, the dish ends up with a very mild flavour.

Ingredients

• 4-6 chicken leg and thigh portions
• ½ cup olive oil (virgin is best here)
• 3 bulbs garlic, separated into cloves (unpeeled)
• ½ cup chicken stock
• 1-2 small sprigs fresh rosemary or ½ teaspoon dried rosemary

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 160ºC.
2. Season the chicken with salt and freshly ground pepper. Heat the oil in a frying pan or flameproof casserole. Add the chicken and brown over a moderate heat on both sides.
3. Transfer the chicken and any oil to a casserole. Add the unpeeled garlic with the chicken stock and rosemary and cover.
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 1½ hours until the chicken is tender and cooked through. Serve with toasted crusty bread, on to which the meltingly soft cloves of garlic can be easily spread.

Cooks Tips

- Add ¼ cup medium-style sherry or marsalad to the casserole before cooking. - Vary the herbs; try thyme or sage.