Basque chicken: four thighs or cut portions, 20 minutes in the oven then braised 25 minutes with red and green peppers, fresh tomatoes, dry white wine and Espelette pepper. Total 45 minutes. Serve with wild rice.
1 Wash the peppers and tomatoes, cut the peppers in half, remove the seeds and white parts with a knife and cut into strips (approximately 1cm).
2 Put the chicken pieces in a non-stick Dutch oven in the oven at 200° for 20 minutes covered.
3 Remove your Dutch oven from the oven, the chicken has released its fat.
4 On your stovetop, remove the chicken thighs, sauté your onions and garlic in the chicken fat (they must be translucent) then add your glass of dry white wine, let simmer for 4 minutes then add the tomatoes, stir, the peppers, the salt, the pepper, the bouquet garni and the espelette pepper, stir everything well, incorporate your chicken.
5 Put back in the oven covered and let cook for 25 minutes at 180°. Remove your Dutch oven from the oven, remove the bouquet garni.
There you have it, it's ready.
I served this recipe with wild rice.
For Basque chicken, Just a few steps: slice peppers into one-centimetre strips, the chicken renders its fat in the oven, then everything goes into the pot with dry white wine, tomatoes and Espelette pepper, which makes all the difference. Peppers are easy to find July through November at their peak. Fresh tomatoes work best, but if it's February, canned peeled tomatoes will do. Espelette pepper isn't optional: it's what defines the taste, light, not aggressive, just a little Basque warmth. For wine, you have options. A clean dry white, Sancerre or Chablis holds up well. Or honestly, a light Beaujolais village works too. Avoid heavy tannic reds, they'll close down the meat. Wild rice gives texture on the side, but wide pasta or boiled potatoes work just fine.
No comments yet. Be the first to share your experience!
Help other cooks
Share a tip, your adaptation, your result. Every comment counts.