Recipe of the week: chicken braised with wild garlic and lemon
Wild garlic is back in season – make the most of it with this Rory O’Connell recipe

Wild garlic has just come into season, and this dish is a superb way to enjoy it, says Rory O’Connell. The quantity of wild garlic may seem excessive, but when cooked this way the flavour is subtle and sophisticated.
Serves six people
Ingredients
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
- 1 organic or free-range chicken
- 60g butter, at room temperature
- 500ml wild garlic leaves, finely chopped (measure the wild garlic in a measuring jug)
- 1 lemon
- 120ml white wine, such as Chardonnay
- 120ml chicken stock
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- garnish with garlic flowers (if available)
Method
- Preheat the oven to 160°C.
- Heat a large, heavy-based cast-iron casserole on a gentle heat. Dry the breast side of the chicken with kitchen paper. Rub the breast with 10g of the butter. Place the chicken breast-side down in the heated casserole and allow to colour gently until both breasts are golden.
- Turn the chicken breast-side up in the casserole and season with salt and pepper. Mix half of the chopped wild garlic with the remaining 50g of butter and spread it all over the chicken.
- Zest the lemon with a Microplane grater directly over the chicken. Pour in the wine and chicken stock and cover with a tight-fitting lid.
- Cook the chicken in the preheated oven for about 90mins. To ensure the chicken is fully cooked, check that the juices between the leg and the breast run clear, with no trace of pink.
- When cooked, scrape any of the chopped garlic leaves still sitting on the breast into the juices in the bottom of the pan. Remove the chicken and keep warm in an oven set to 100°C.
- Place the casserole on a low heat on the hob, add the remaining chopped garlic leaves and bring the juices to a simmer. Cook for 5mins, then taste and adjust the seasoning. The juices may take on a slightly syrupy consistency, which is perfect, but don’t over-reduce or the flavour will be too strong.
- Carve the chicken neatly onto a hot serving dish and pour over the bubbling hot sauce or pass separately in a heated sauce boat. Sprinkle the wild garlic flowers, if using, over the dish.
Rory O’Connell is co-founder of the Ballymaloe Cookery School in Cork, Ireland (ballymaloe.com).
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
How did the Wagner Group recruit young British men for arson attack?
Today's Big Question Russian operatives have been using encrypted messaging apps to groom saboteurs across Europe
-
The best graphic novels
The Week Recommends These inventive illustrated books will transport you to another world
-
How a UK wealth tax could work
A levy could be on the agenda as Rachel Reeves attempts to get the nation's finances back on track
-
Diane Arbus' Constellation is the largest-ever collection of her work
Feature Park Avenue Armory, New York City, through Aug. 17
-
July fiction: Summers to remember
Feature Featuring the latest summer-themed novels from Darrow Farr, Lucas Schaefer, and more
-
Jeff in Venice: a 'triumph of tackiness'?
In the Spotlight Locals protest as Bezos uses the city as a 'private amusement park' for his wedding celebrations
-
The Anatomy of Painting: Jenny Saville's 'stunning' retrospective
The Week Recommends Saville's new collection features 'masterpieces' from throughout her career
-
M3GAN 2.0: riotous action sequel to the comedy-horror hit about a killer doll
The Week Recommends A 'ridiculously' entertaining 'hyper-camp mash-up' of Terminator 2 and Mission: Impossible
-
Shami Chakrabarti picks her favourite books
The Week Recommends The politician and human rights activist shares the polemics that inspired her
-
Properties of the week: bright and cheerful houses
The Week Recommends Featuring homes in Cornwall, London and Norfolk
-
6 sleek homes for modernists
Feature Featuring a concrete-and-steel home in South Carolina and a renovated 19th-century former carriage house in Pennsylvania