Poulet Basquaise (Basque-Style Chicken with Peppers and Tomatoes)

Chicken simmered with sweet peppers, tomatoes, garlic and smoked paprika in the style of the Basque country.

TIME BREAKDOWN
Prep: 20 min
Cook: 1h
Total: 1 hour 20 minutes
Vegetarian
❌
Nuts
❌
Serves
6 people
Difficulty
Easy

Ingredients

  • 8 chicken thighs, skin on and bone in
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 150g Bayonne ham or Serrano ham, diced
  • 2 onions, sliced
  • 3 mixed red and yellow peppers, deseeded and sliced
  • 4 cloves garlic, sliced
  • 2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp Espelette pepper or 1/2 tsp mild chilli flakes
  • 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
  • 150ml dry white wine
  • 150ml chicken stock
  • 2 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, to serve
  • Salt and black pepper to taste

Method

  1. Season the chicken. Heat half the oil in a large casserole over a medium-high heat and brown the chicken for 8 minutes, skin-side down first. Set aside.

  2. Add the remaining oil and the ham and cook for 2 minutes. Add the onions and cook for 8 minutes, then the peppers for 5 minutes until starting to soften.

  3. Stir in the garlic, paprika and Espelette pepper for 1 minute. Pour in the wine and let it bubble for 3 minutes.

  4. Add the tomatoes, stock, thyme and bay leaf and return the chicken to the pot, nestling the pieces into the sauce.

  5. Cover and simmer gently for 30 minutes, then uncover and cook for 15 to 20 minutes more until the chicken is tender and the sauce is thick and glossy.

  6. Remove the thyme and bay leaf, season to taste and scatter with parsley. Serve with rice or boiled new potatoes.