Garlic Chicken

I was browsing through a Cook's Illustrated magazine and found a slightly too complicated recipe for garlic chicken.  This is my take on it (and it was a good take!).

1/2 package bacon, sliced into 1" pieces
2 large garlic heads, peel off papery shell and remove top 1/3 of head
4 garlic cloves, minced (I used the pieces that I cut off above.)
3 lbs bone-in chicken pieces
Salt and Pepper
1/2 purple onion, minced
3/4 to 1 (about 1 cup) red bell pepper, seeded and minced
1 Tablespoon flour
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup white grape juice
3 green onions, chopped
2 bay leaves
1 cup pitted kalamata olives, chopped

Chopped and prepare everything before you start - it makes it so much easier! 

In a Dutch oven (or other oven appropriate skillet), cook bacon over medium heat until crisp but not over done. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and put on paper towel to drain.  Place garlic heads cut side down in pan to brown for about 3 minutes.  Remove with slotted spoon and place on paper towel next to bacon.  Wash chicken, pat dry, salt and pepper it.  Place chicken in bacon grease to brown.  You may need to do this in batches so just set pieces aside as you are done browning them on all sides.  Drain all but 1 tablespoon of bacon grease. Add minced garlic and purple onions to pan for 1 minute until fragrant.  Add bell pepper to pan for one minute.  Add chicken broth, grape juice and flour to pan and stir thoroughly.  Simmer on medium for about 2 minutes.  Remove from heat.  Add bay leaves, chicken and browned garlic heads to pan, sprinkle with bacon and green onion.  Put lid on Dutch oven. Place in 375' oven for 1 1/2 hours.  Remove lid and let it simmer for another 15 minutes. 

Serve over rice or noodles.  Sprinkle with kalamata olives. (Jim doesn't like kalamata olives so he left them off and still loved it!)  Serve with crusty french bread to soak up all the great flavors!