Can I Add Extra Stock To The Chicken With 40 Cloves Of Garlic?

Our answer

Nigella's Chicken With 40 Cloves Of Garlic (from KITCHEN) roasts chicken pieces with garlic cloves. The garlic softens during cooking, becoming caramelized, and the sweet, sticky garlic is squeezed out of the papery cases, to be eaten alongside the chicken.

Whilst it is possible to add stock to the pan, the main problem is that the garlic cloves will braise in the extra liquid, so although they will become soft and mild, they will not develop the same intense candy-like sweetness. The chicken itself will let out some juices during cooking, so there is a small amount of sauce in the bottom of the pan. If you want to increase the amount of sauce then we would suggest that after cooking you transfer the chicken and garlic cloves to a serving dish and keep them warm. Stir some good quality chicken stock into the juices in the pan (the quantity will depend on how much sauce you need) and put the pan over a medium heat. Let it bubble away for a couple of minutes to reduce slightly, then serve this sauce with the chicken.