Basque chicken The real recipe from the Basque Country

The real Basque chicken in the Basque Country is simply a piperade base in which cook pieces of chicken.

I brought you the real Basque chicken recipe from my stay in the Basque Country And from my visit to the Espelette pepper basin and the origin of this recipe, the Souletin country.
It was a little grandmother on a market that confirmed to me that my way of making corresponds well to the traditional recipe.

Basquaise chicken is actually made with A piperade base : compote of tomatoes, soft peppers (or peppers!) And onions that we simmer very slowly and to which the local queen spice is well added: the pepper of aop espelette.

We can Add eggs or Bayonn hame to make it a complete dish. Or chickenthis becomes this Basque chicken recipe. It is therefore quite easy to achieve.

The ingredients you need

Chicken of course

Use A whole chicken and ask your butcher to cut it into pieces.
A variant is to make the recipe with chicken thighs. Ideally tall and pestle, attached or separated.
If you use chicken breasts, be careful they cook a little faster.

Espelette pepper AOP

The Espelette AOP AOC pepper is the only spice in certified France. Recognized as controlled origin (AOC in 2000 and then Protected designation of origin (AOP) in May 2009 To comply with European standards.

The Espelette Aop pepper is cultivated in ten municipalities : Ainhoa, Cambo-les-Bains, Espelette, Halsou, Itxassou, Larressore, Saint-Pée-sur-Nivelle, Suraïde and Ustaritz. The hills in the east and the ocean to the west create a particular microclimate, with abundant precipitation in spring and high temperatures in summer. The rear season offers a mild climate, ideal for the growth of chili and maturation of fruit which takes place from September to October.

The AOP specifications are very strict. In particular, “the peppers must be harvested ripe, by hand, they must measure from 7 to 14 cm and have a regular and conical shape and a smooth epidermis, when they are red. They must dry naturally for at least 15 days… ”

Espelette pepper, hot spice at moderately intense spice (4/10 on the scoville scale Measuring the intensity of the spice of the peppers) is long in the mouth with great finesse and a persistent flavor.

I am preparing you separately soon a full article on the Espelette Aop pepper with lots of pretty photos of the Basque country. Be sure to have the yellow and red AOP label on the jar you buy. Keep it maximum 2 years in a closed glass jar and not too large.

It is not necessary to put the Espelette chilli from the start of cooking. Add it 5 to 10 minutes before the end.

Anglet soft pepper or pepper

I use here a soft mixing mix of Aglet since this recipe is made on my return from a stay in the Basque Country and I had brought back in my suitcases of sweet pepper.

In reality, the sweet pepper is absolutely not strong and rather corresponds to a kind of pepper.
The difference is mainly in the thickness of the flesh rather than in taste.

In addition, a small saleswoman on the Saint John Port market explained to me that there was no different variety of soft green and red chili but that it is the degree of maturity, green at the beginning then red.

Also if you cannot find an Anglet pepper or for ease, you can completely make your Basque chicken with red pepper and / or green pepper. 3 For this recipe, 2 red and 1 green.

Tomatoes

Outside the tomato season, it is better to use tomatoes in boxes, either peeled tomatoes either cube tomatoes (avoided in coulis, your sauce will lack a little consistency).

The period of full season tomato in the end of spring, early summer. Depending on the earlier and later varieties, there are generally tomatoes on the stalls from May to September, sometimes a little more before or after.

Apart from this season, either in autumn, winters and early spring, tomatoes will have either pushed in greenhouse, or will be imported, or …?
In short, it is better to have good tomatoes in boxes than forced tomatoes or that have gone around the planet and what is more have no taste out of season.

I suggest in this recipe to peel tomatoes. This operation is optional but having skinless tomatoes will bring much more soft and smoothness to the sauce of your Basquaise chicken.

• The utensils you need: a large pan of water that you will boil, a cold water tray to cool the tomatoes and a knife and ideally a skimmer.
• Start by bringing a large saucepan of water to a boil.
• Meanwhile, wash the tomatoes, remove the peduncles and with the help of a knife make a cross -shaped incision in each tomato.
• As soon as the water boils, put the tomatoes one by one in the water. To avoid the risks of splash and therefore of burns, you can for example put them in a ladle that you immerse in boiling water.
• Leave the tomatoes 3 ° seconds in boiling water and remove them using a skimmer.
• Refresh the tomatoes in a cold water bowl.
• Finally remove the skin. Depending on the variety and degree of maturity of tomatoes, the skin will be easily leaving by hand, or you can help yourself.

Bayonnaise chicken Is I understood a Basque chicken in which bacon or pieces of Bayonne ham are added. I’m going to dig this.