Entree: France – Paris & Ile-de-France – Poulet Basquaise (Basque-style braised chicken in a tomato and bell pepper sauce)
Serving Size: 4
Approximate Time
Prep
20 min
Cook
45 min
Total
1 hr 5 min
Ingredients
- 4 bone-in chicken thighs, approx. 6 oz (170 g) each
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil
- 1 large onion, thinly sliced, about 8 oz (225 g)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced (about 9 g)
- 2 red bell peppers, seeded and sliced, about 12 oz (340 g)
- 1 green bell pepper, seeded and sliced, about 6 oz (170 g)
- 14 oz (400 g) canned whole tomatoes, crushed by hand
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) dry white wine (optional)
- 1 cup (240 ml) low-sodium chicken stock
- 1 tsp (2 g) Espelette pepper or smoked paprika
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 tsp (6 g) kosher salt, adjust to taste
- 1/2 tsp (1 g) freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp (8 g) chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tbsp (15 g) unsalted butter (optional, for finishing)
Instructions
1. Pat the chicken thighs dry and season both sides with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large heavy skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken, skin-side down first, until deep golden, about 6–8 minutes per side. Transfer the browned chicken to a plate.
2. Reduce heat to medium. Add the sliced onion to the pan and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the sliced peppers and cook until they begin to soften, about 6 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic and Espelette pepper and cook 1 minute until fragrant.
3. Pour in the white wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up browned bits, and let it reduce by half, about 2–3 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes and chicken stock, then tuck in the bay leaf and thyme sprigs. Return the browned chicken to the pan, skin-side up, submerging pieces partly in the sauce.
4. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until the chicken is cooked through and tender, about 25–30 minutes. Uncover and simmer a few minutes more if the sauce needs to reduce.
5. Remove the bay leaf and thyme stems. Stir in the butter if using, adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with chopped parsley before serving.
