My Own Poulet Basquaise Recipe

Author:

Ryan Thomas is a university student who enjoys cooking recipes from a wide variety of culinary traditions.

French cuisine encompasses a diverse range of influences, and some people may not be familiar with the Basque contribution. One popular Basque dish, which is a favorite in Parisian bistros, is poulet basquaise (basque chicken).

I have taken the traditional recipe and adjusted it, producing a rich, gutsy, and vibrant dish that is a rather beautiful mixture of chicken and peppers. The brilliant colors complement and contrast with each other, while the chicken is seasoned with a host of spices that draw out its flavor.

I recommend serving this dish over rice and perhaps accompanying it with a nice white wine, which generally, after all, provides for a nice accompaniment for chicken.

I have adapted this recipe from one of my favorite cookbooks: La cuisine française: la + simple du monde.

Ingredients

2 pounds chicken, cut up into individual pieces
6 bell peppers, cored and seeded
1 onion, peeled and diced
3 tablespoons paprika
4 tablespoons olive oil
salt
pepper
8 cloves garlic
5 sprigs rosemary
1 teaspoon thyme
fresh cilantro
2 teaspoons tarragon
4 bay leaves
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

Instructions

Core and remove the seeds from the bell peppers then proceed to cut them up into smaller pieces. Peel and dice the onion. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or casserole dish, then put in the onion, immediately followed by the bell pepper. Sauté over medium heat for 20 minutes.
Peel the garlic but leave it in whole pieces. Cut the chicken into smaller serving pieces and add tarragon, salt, pepper, thyme, and paprika to season, rubbing it consistently all over the chicken. Place it into a large, oven-proof dish, and add in the garlic cloves and the rosemary.
Mix in with this the sautéd bell peppers and onion, and sprinkle over this some additional seasonings, some olive oil, the balsamic vinegar, and add in cilantro and the bay leaves. Place into a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for 40 minutes, then remove and serve.