DON'T LET THE GARLIC SCARE YOU
Bold skillet chicken and rice dish has a lovely sharp and peppery bite
I consider the number of garlic cloves in the ingredient list of a recipe to be more of a jumping off point. Unless I'm testing a recipe, in which case I follow the recipe as written, I almost always add more.
The sharp, peppery bite garlic delivers is sublime. Minced and dropped into butter or oil, it delivers a heavenly aroma. And, because it lasts so long, I almost always have it handy to drop into weeknight dinners. If you are nodding in agreement, I am betting you will love this quick, thrifty chicken and rice dish. It is one I've been making since I was in college and calls for a whole head of garlic.
To remove the papery skin, I rely on one of these three methods, starting with my favourite.
Shake them: Place the cloves in a large, clean, dry jar with a hard lid (such as an empty pickle jar) or put the cloves in a metal bowl, invert a bowl of equal size over the top and hold the bowls together where the rims meet. Shake vigorously for 15 to 20 seconds. If any still have skins, repeat the process with those. This method works best with slightly older, dryer garlic. For fresher or stubborn garlic, you may have to snip off the end of each clove where it was attached at the root.
If I'm adding the garlic to a sauce, I might try one of these
two methods. Both result in slightly softened garlic.
Microwave: Place the cloves on a plate and microwave on high for about 15 seconds. Remove and allow to cool for a few minutes. The skins should then easily release. If not, give them another blast of five seconds.
Hot water: Cut the end off each clove where it is attached to the root. Put a kettle on to boil water. In a large bowl, add the cloves and cover with boiling water. Let sit for five minutes, or until skins begin to loosen. Drain, cool and then peel.
And rather than mincing all of those cloves, I pull out my trusty garlic press. Maybe I prefer this
method because I love strong garlic flavour. The more you break down the garlic, the more dominant the flavour will be, so keep that in mind as you decide whether to slice, mince or press.
If you've got leftover rice, use it in this recipe. If not, put the rice on before you start cooking and it should be ready just when you need it.
I've also made this dish with lean boneless pork chops, or you can toss cubed tofu with cornstarch, pan-fry it in a little oil until it is golden on all sides and stir that in at the very end. Try this with other grains you love — it's a great way to use leftover cooked grains — or with your favourite tender greens, such as arugula, in place of spinach.