FOOD NEWS
Basque Chicken Is A Comforting Stew Featuring French And Spanish Influences
BY NIKITA EPHANOV
Chicken and dried peppers are a combination enjoyed around the world, from Hungarian chicken paprikash to the unique French- and Spanish-adjacent dish called Basque chicken.
Known as poulet Basquaise in French, this dish is a beloved staple in the highly-renowned cuisine of Basque Country, in the western Pyrénées region between Spain and France.
The stew is a flavorful combination of chicken, bell peppers, herbs, wine, cured pork like ham or chorizo, and espelette, a particularly aromatic dried pepper spice.
Basque chicken is surprisingly easy to make at home. If you can't get ahold of espelette, it can be substituted with paprika, and the rest comes together in a swoop.
The dish starts by browning ham or chorizo, then setting it aside to cook salt-seasoned, skin-on chicken in the same pot, which could be any cut from thighs to wings to breasts.
Tomatoes, bell peppers, and veggies like onions, shallot, garlic, and/or piquillo peppers are added to the pot and softened, picking up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan.
The pot is deglazed with white wine and chicken stock is poured in, along with the cured pork and chicken. An herbal bouquet of thyme and parsley is also added.
If paprika is used, it can be added to the stew as it cooks, but espelette is always added as a finishing spice. Once the stew is done, serve it with rice, potatoes, and red wine.