Poulet Basquaise
A vibrant French Basque chicken dish with peppers, tomatoes, and ham in one pan. Rich, aromatic, and ready in under 30 minutes.
- Total time
- 28 min
- Servings
- 4
- Calories
- 445
- Protein
- 42g
Ingredients
- 8 thighs (about 2 lb) chicken thighs, skin-on and boneless
- 2 large peppers red and yellow bell peppers
- 1 can (14.5 oz) canned whole tomatoes
- 4 oz ham, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- 1
Pat the chicken thighs dry on both sides using paper towels, removing any excess moisture so they brown better.
- 2
Remove the stem and seeds from each bell pepper by cutting around the stem in a circular motion and pulling it out with the seeds.
- 3
Slice the peppers lengthwise into 1-inch-wide strips, cutting from the tip toward the wide end.
- 4
Mince the garlic until the pieces are smaller than a grain of rice — about the size of pencil-tip dots.
- 5
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers and slides quickly when you tilt the pan, about 90 seconds.
- 6
Place the chicken thighs skin-side down in the hot oil in a single layer; they will not fit without overlapping slightly, and that is fine.
- 7
Cook the chicken without moving it for 6 minutes, until the skin turns the color of warm honey and lifts easily from the pan with tongs.
- 8
Flip each piece of chicken skin-side up and cook for 4 more minutes, until the second side is light gold.
- 9
Slide the chicken to the side of the skillet and push it against the rim, creating a clear space in the center of the pan.
- 10
Scrape the minced garlic into the empty space in the center of the pan and stir for 30 seconds until the smell becomes strongly fragrant and sharp.
- 11
Add the pepper strips and diced ham to the pan, stirring them together with the garlic until everything is mixed evenly around the chicken.
- 12
Crush the canned tomatoes by hand over the pan and pour them in along with their juices, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits.
- 13
Reduce the heat to medium and simmer without covering for 8 minutes, stirring gently once every 2 minutes, until the peppers soften slightly and the liquid thickens.
Tools you’ll need
- 12-inch skillet with lid or aluminum foil cover
- paper towels
- cutting board
- chef's knife
- tongs
- wooden spoon
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