What the Heck is a Clove of Garlic?

One of the biggest confusion points many new cooks encounter is with garlic. They are going along a recipe and get to garlic on the ingredients list. There it is. 2 cloves of garlic. The new cook looks at this white bulb they just purchased and wonder….is that a clove? A head? A bulb?

New cooks, here is your answer: A bulb and a head are the same thing and that is that big white thing you have. When you peel the papery outside, you will see a number of sections (kind of like an orange). Each of those sections is a clove.

Now…..The ones on the outside are usually rather big. The ones closer to the center are much smaller. Both are cloves, but the ingredient list does not say a big clove or a small clove. Which do you use?

The second answer of the post: depends if you like garlic. I love garlic so I will often use all big cloves or triple up the smaller ones.

Roasted Garlic Chicken

Look at that beautifully roasted chicken.

That garlic is hiding behind the salt.

Brining the chicken helps it to draw in and keep moisture during cooking.

Out of the fridge.

And the oven.

Yum!

Roasted Garlic Chicken

Cook Time: 30 min | Servings: 4 servings | Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

1 head garlic
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh oregano, plus more for garnish
3 or 4 dried red chile peppers, crushed
Kosher salt
4  pounds bone-in chicken parts (or one 4-pound chicken, cut into 10 pieces)
Pita bread, for serving

Directions:

Mince 1 clove garlic; smash the rest. Combine the garlic with the vinegar, olive oil, oregano, chiles and 2 teaspoons salt in a large bowl. Add the chicken and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 450. Arrange the chicken in a roasting pan; roast until cooked through and golden, about 30 minutes. Garnish with oregano. Brush pita bread with the pan drippings to serve with the chicken.

Sodium 657 mg; Carbohydrate 1 g; Fiber 0 g; Protein 59 g

Source: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/roasted-garlic-chicken-recipe/index.html