Poulet Basquaise Rapide
Poulet Basquaise Rapide·(poo-lay bahs-Kez rah-PEED)
Les Plats Mijotés: The Sunday French Simmer
At six-thirty on a Wednesday, the chicken thighs hit the Dutch oven and the skin blisters before anyone can complain about being hungry. The foundation of this dish is the piperade—a brilliant, thrifty peasant stew of supermarket peppers and tomatoes; by swapping a whole bird for boneless thighs and imported Piment d'Espelette for a smart blend of sweet paprika and cayenne, this regional masterpiece becomes a thirty-minute weeknight staple. Tear off a chunk of bread and wipe the pot clean.
Before you start
Mix the faux-Espelette spice blend.
In a small bowl, combine the sweet paprika and cayenne pepper so it is ready to be divided during cooking.
Ingredients
- boneless skinless chicken thighs1 1/2 lb
- kosher salt1 tsp
- sweet paprika1 tbsp
- cayenne pepper1/8 tsp
- extra virgin olive oil3 tbsp
- prosciutto2 slices
- yellow onion1 large
- red bell pepper1 med
- green bell pepper1 med
- garlic3 med cloves
- dry white wine1/4 cup
- diced tomatoes14 1/2 oz
- bay leaf1 med
- dried thyme1/2 tsp
Method
- 01
Sear the chicken for flavor, not for doneness.
Toss the chicken chunks with salt and half of your paprika-cayenne blend. Heat the olive oil in a wide skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, and sear the chicken just until golden crusts form, about 4 minutes. Remove it to a plate and leave that beautiful, flavorful fat in the pan.
- 02
Render the prosciutto.
Toss the chopped prosciutto into the hot chicken fat for about one minute until crispy, then scoop it out and set aside to use as a garnish later.
- 03
Soften the vegetables.
Lower the heat to medium and add the onions and bell peppers to the pan. Sauté until they are limp, sweet, and have scraped up all the brown bits from the chicken, tossing in the garlic for the last sixty seconds so it doesn't turn bitter.
- 04
Build the piperade.
Pour in the wine to deglaze the pan and let it bubble away for a minute. Stir in the canned tomatoes, the rest of the paprika-cayenne blend, the bay leaf, and the thyme, then turn the heat to low, cover, and let it simmer aggressively for 10 to 15 minutes until it looks like a thick, cohesive, deeply red stew.
- 05
Poach the chicken to finish.
Nestle the chicken chunks back into the sauce, pouring in any juices that collected on the plate. Cover and simmer gently for 8 to 10 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and tender.
- 06
Garnish and serve.
Remove the bay leaf. Serve the stew bubbling hot over a bed of white rice or alongside steamed potatoes, topped with the crispy prosciutto.
Notes
A note on the spice substitution.
Authentic Piment d'Espelette is the heart of Basque cooking, but if you don't have an imported jar on hand, don't sweat it. We replicate it perfectly here with standard sweet paprika and a pinch of cayenne.
From Cook French in America.