A Christmas Chicken

I learned from Ina Garten that if you parboil garlic cloves, they lighten considerably, and allow you to use many in a single dish, as she does with roasted chicken.

Inspired by this, I set out to modify a coq au vin blanc for a Christmasy presentation.  I love crispy browned chicken, so I don't braise the chicken covered in the wine, but rather roast uncovered in a low bed of wine.  This allows the wine and sherry flavors to infuse, while keeping the chicken crispy and brown.
1 head garlic, separated into cloves, unpeeled
1 whole roaster chicken, cut into about 10 pieces
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 small sweet onion, diced
1 red pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 Tbsp fresh herbs, such as thyme, rosemary or oregano - or a mix
1/2 tsp dried crushed red pepper flakes
1 Tbsp butter plus 1 Tbsp olive oil
10 oz baby portabello mushrooms

1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup cream sherry

Preheat oven to 375F. Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Add the garlic cloves and cook 1 minute. Drain and peel the cloves.

Brown the chicken pieces in batches in a dash of olive oil in a Dutch oven or heavy pot. Remove Chicken to a bowl.

Add the red pepper and onion to the pot and sauté about 5 minutes. Add a dash of olive oil if necessary. Add the parboiled garlic cloves, herbs and red pepper flakes to the red pepper and cook another 5 minutes.

Remove to the chicken.

Melt the butter with the oil in the pot.

Slice the mushrooms very thickly and brown them in the pot with the butter and oil. This will take about 10 minutes. Return the chicken and pepper mix to the pot, keeping the pieces with the browned skin on the surface, largely uncovered with veggies - you want this to brown nicely in the oven.

Now carefully pour the white wine around the edges of the chicken, not on top - again you want the skin to brown, not braise. The liquid should not cover the chicken.

Roast chicken uncovered in the oven for 20 minutes. Remove the pot to the stovetop and carefully add the sherry, again, around the edges of the pot. Return to the oven and cook another 10-15 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and nicely browned.

Serve with your favorite sides. Serves 4-6.