Poulet à l'aillet

Spring garlic has sprung and it's delicious...

There’s a brief stretch in spring when garlic starts to really take center stage. Before it hardens into cloves and papery skins for its second act, it shows up green and tender—aillet—mild enough to cook by the handful, soft enough to melt into something almost buttery. That fleeting moment is exactly what this Poulet à l’aillet leans on.

In this version, chicken gets pan-roasted until golden, new potatoes are stewed with a generous sweep of spring garlic in white wine & chicken stock, the whole thing finished with cream & mustard until it turns silky and spoonable. The garlic seeps into the broth, coats the chicken, and settles into the potatoes, giving them a richness that feels both light and deeply comforting.

It’s the kind of dish that doesn’t need much explaining or embellishment. Two pans, a bit of time, and ingredients that already know how to work together. The result is quietly decadent without trying to be—something you make once, and then again before the season slips past.

If there’s ever a reason to chase down those first bundles of green garlic, this is it. Let dive into the recipe…