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IrelandFallow's 40-clove chicken starts by taming the garlic
A James Beard classic becomes a lesson in richer stock, sweeter garlic and rescuing crisp chicken skin after a braise.
Fallow
Story of Why this story? 853,292 views so far, and here is what is inside it.
Why 40 Cloves of Garlic Makes Chicken Incredible
Things we can learn from the video
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- 0:18Butcher a whole chicken and reserve bones and trimmings to enrich the stock.
- 2:40Soak garlic cloves in hot water for easier peeling, then blanch them before cooking.
- 5:30Sear the chicken skin-side down until golden, then remove it from the pan.
- 6:31Caramelise garlic in butter and chicken fat, add vegetables and mushrooms, then deglaze with vermouth.
- 8:35Braise chicken and garlic in strained stock; afterwards, grill the chicken and blend the sauce with crème fraîche.
- 10:19Spread softened garlic onto toasted sourdough and serve with the chicken, sauce and herbs.
The garlic ends up soft enough to spread on sourdough, not scattered raw over dinner. In Fallow's "Why 40 Cloves of Garlic Makes Chicken Incredible", the generous quantity is only half the idea: the preparation changes what those cloves bring to the pan.
The chef soaks them in hot water to make peeling easier, then blanches them. He explains that this disables alliinase, the enzyme involved in producing garlic's pungency. Later, the cloves caramelise in butter and chicken fat before joining a gentle braise. The aim is sweetness and softness rather than a sharp garlic hit.
There is almost another recipe happening underneath the chicken. Bones and trimmings from the whole bird are roasted with vegetables and herbs, then used to enrich bought chicken stock. Celery, leeks, mushrooms and vermouth build the sauce, giving the garlic something more substantial to settle into.
The useful finishing move comes after the braise. The chicken goes under the grill to crisp its skin again while the sauce is blended with crème fraîche and strained. Soft meat, crisp skin and a smooth sauce are treated as separate jobs, rather than expecting the pot to deliver everything at once.
The tutorial has drawn about 853,000 views in five days. It follows Fallow's chicken-tender demonstration, but swaps the elaborate crunchy coating for a sauce meant to be soaked up with toast.
Viewers are having fun with the very precise garlic allowance: some joke about being a clove short, while others propose adding more. On the plate, the chef spreads a softened clove over toasted sourdough before assembling the chicken, sauce and herbs.
Published on Trari
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What viewers say
I only have 39. I really wanted to make this dish, oh well.
@ccaputaSee it on YouTubeNeeds more garlic
@slaterbreakerSee it on YouTubeCartouche sighting at the 9:30 mark.
@youtubeaddict1See it on YouTube
4 more comments
Tarragon, garlic and chicken. Classic
@TheBeetrootmanSee it on YouTubeIm gona try this with 41....wish me luck
@mizaru84See it on YouTubeIdeal recipe for a date night
@pegoossensSee it on YouTube40 cloves of garlic makes everything delicious
@Coulomb1989See it on YouTube
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- Channel
- Fallow
- Subscribers
- 2,520,000 ▲ 10,000 this week
- Channel views, last 7 days
- 17,682,703
- Channel views, pace per day
- 1,198,972 (on a normal day: 2,348,891)
- Video published
- October 28, 2026
- Video views so far
- 853,292 (5 days online)
- Video views, pace per day
- 76,094 (on a normal day: 216,331)
The numbers
Here is how the garlic-chicken tutorial sits alongside viewing across Fallow's channel.
💡 Test your knowledge
What does Fallow blend into the sauce after braising the chicken?
The chef blends the braising sauce with crème fraîche before straining it.