Garlic, Chicken & Campervan Smells: 40 Clove Bliss in Cantabria

My Campervan Cooking of 40 Cloves Garlic Chicken. No regrets

Yes, 40 Cloves Garlic Chicken is real — and yes, the van still smells glorious. We’re tucked away in lush green Cantabria this week, and after escaping the heat of Extremadura, it seemed like the perfect time to settle into some serious slow food.

Now, cooking anything ambitious in a campervan comes with a few quirks. I don’t have an oven, but I do have a deep-sided frying pan with a lid and a gas hob — and honestly, that’s all I needed to make this surprisingly mellow, garlic-rich dish. Forget the fear of overwhelming garlic breath; slow cooking softens the cloves into sweet, spreadable gold.

I didn’t use a whole chicken either — just some bone-in pieces that fit nicely in the pan. A splash of white wine, a handful of thyme, a glug of olive oil, and yes, all forty cloves went in. The van filled with the kind of smell that makes you close your eyes and grin like you’re in a French farmhouse instead of parked near a quiet Cantabrian forest.

This is campervan cooking at its best — low effort, full flavour. I served it up with hunks of crusty bread to scoop up that soft garlic, and the dogs were very attentive throughout, hoping for a nibble (no luck—garlic's off-limits for them).

Cooking in the van always has its limitations, but it also invites a kind of creativity. 40 cloves garlic chicken might sound mad, but it was one of the best things I’ve made on the road. Total comfort food, total win.

For garlic lovers, try this garlic infused rabbit recipe here.

This recipe also features in my Campervan Cooking Recipes hub — the complete collection of recipes actually cooked on the road in Florie.

Wonky park-ups, proper adventures, genuine freedom. For more one-pan recipes, travel tips, and dog-friendly routes, explore my comprehensive guide, Vanlife in Spain: A Guide to Cooking and Travelling with Dogs. — The Flexible Chef

This recipe is part of my easy chicken dinner ideas collection — a complete guide to cooking every cut, every style, from Casa Adora and the road.