Entree: French Southern Territories – Central Culinary Region – Poulet Basquaise (Basque-style chicken)

Serving Size: 4

Approximate Time

Prep 25 min

Cook 45 min

Total 1 hr 10 min

Ingredients

- 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, approx. 8 oz (225 g) each
- 3 tbsp (45 ml) olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, sliced, approx. 8 oz (225 g)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced (approx. 9 g)
- 3 medium bell peppers (2 red, 1 green), sliced, approx. 1.5 lb (700 g) total
- 1 14-oz (400 g) can diced tomatoes
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) tomato paste
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) dry white wine
- 1 cup (240 ml) chicken stock
- 1/2 tsp (1 g) piment d'Espelette (or smoked paprika if unavailable)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp (1 g) fresh thyme leaves (or 1/2 tsp / 1 g dried)
- 1 tsp (5 g) granulated sugar (optional, to balance acidity)
- 1/3 cup (50 g) pitted black olives (optional)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp (8 g) chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

Instructions

1. Pat the chicken thighs dry and season generously with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil in a large deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear the thighs skin-side down until deep golden, 6–8 minutes; flip and brown the other side 4–5 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
2. Reduce heat to medium and add the remaining 1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil. Add the sliced onion and cook until softened and beginning to caramelize, about 6–8 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic and cook 30 seconds more.
3. Add the sliced bell peppers and cook until they begin to soften, 6–7 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook 1 minute, then pour in the white wine to deglaze, scraping browned bits from the pan; simmer until wine is reduced by half, about 2–3 minutes.
4. Stir in the diced tomatoes, chicken stock, piment d'Espelette, bay leaf, thyme, and sugar (if using). Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer.
5. Nestle the seared chicken thighs back into the pepper–tomato mixture, skin-side up. Cover and simmer gently on low heat until the chicken is cooked through and tender, about 30–40 minutes. If the sauce reduces too much, add a splash more stock or water.
6. In the last 5 minutes of cooking, stir in the olives (if using) and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Remove the bay leaf.
7. Spoon the Poulet Basquaise into shallow bowls, spooning plenty of peppers and sauce over each thigh. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve hot with crusty bread or rice (optional).