Debone the chicken, salt and pepper

Heat oil in a skillet, add the garlic cloves and saute gently until golden while taking care not to burn

Remove the garlic from the oil and add to a mortar or blender with parsley, saffron, salt, and peppercorns. Blend to a paste and set aside. I call this ajillo paste

Note: I make large batches of this paste with 3 or 4 heads of garlic in 3/4 cup of oil and use the excess oil in my everyday cooking and freeze the paste in an ice tray for future occasions.

Carefully dry the chicken, then add them skin side down to a 12-inch frying pan and fry at high heat and with the chicken weighed down with by a cast iron pan. If skin is properly dry and pan sufficiently hot, the skin will crisp up and release from pan. Do not try to flip the skin before it has released or it will stick. When skin is crispy (you will notice it starting to crisp at the edges) flip over, and without the cast iron weight, cook for a few more minutes until done .

Remove chicken and set aside

Remove the accumulated chicken fat, then deglaze the pan with a splash of sherry, then add 1 Tbs of the garlic oil and the mushrooms

Turn up heat to medium high, do not stir mushrooms for 5 minutes, then finish by stirring them until soft, after which you add 3 Tbs of garlic oil and salt and pepper to taste.

Now add minced shallots at the same heat level and cook down until soft and translucent

Now make the roux by lowering the heat to medium, then stirring in the flour, followed by the sherry and broth and stirring until roux thickens.

Add the ajillo paste to the roux and fully incorporate. Taste for salt.

Return the chicken to pan skin side up and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes. Alternatively, if you plan to serve at the table, warm a ceramic cazuela in a 375 degree oven and, when warm, transfer the roux from the pan, add the chicken and return to oven for 15 minutes or until bubbling and warm.

Serve with chopped parsley

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