Georgian Creamy-Garlic Chicken (Shkmeruli)

This traybake chicken makes its own rich and garlicky pan sauce. It’s our version of shkmeruli, a Georgian classic we learned in Tbilisi from Giorgi Andghuladze, chef at Craft Wine Restaurant, and home cook Mako Tchabashvili. For ease, we moved the cooking into the oven, turning shkmeruli into a simple, almost hands-free traybake. We prefer thighs and drumsticks, but even bone-in, skin-on breasts work well; be sure to use breasts that weigh no more than 12 ounces each. Placing whole garlic cloves in the center of the baking sheet, surrounded by the chicken parts, prevents the garlic from scorching but allows them to soften so they can be mashed to flavor the sauce.