Poulet Basquaise

Ingredients

• 1 (about 1.6 kg) whole chicken, jointed into 8 pieces
• 2 tsp piment d'Espelette
• to taste fine salt
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• For the sofregit
• 2 (about 300 g) onions, thinly sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 green peppers, cored, seeded, sliced
• 2 red peppers, cored, seeded, sliced
• 4 piparrak (long Basque sweet peppers), cored, seeded, sliced
• For the braise
• 400 g ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded, chopped (tomates concassées)
• 150 ml dry white wine, Irouléguy or Jurançon sec
• 1 bouquet garni, including a sprig of fresh thyme
• Optional
• 80 g jambon de Bayonne, diced
• To finish
• 1 handful flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
• 1 tbsp olive oil, good quality, for drizzling
• To serve
• 300 g long-grain rice, cooked as riz pilaf

Method

1. 1
   Heat the olive oil in a wide, heavy-based braising pan over a low-to-medium flame. Add the onions, garlic, and all the peppers — green, red, and piparrak — with a pinch of salt. If using jambon de Bayonne, add it here. Sweat uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 30 to 40 minutes. The sofregit is ready when every strip of pepper is entirely soft, collapsed, and jammy, with no remaining resistance when pressed against the side of the pan. This step cannot be rushed.
2. 2
   Remove the sofregit from the pan and set aside. Raise the heat to medium-high. Season the chicken pieces with piment d'Espelette and salt. Sear in the same pan, in the residual oil, until each surface is a deep, even golden-brown. The colour, not the clock, is the signal — pale, uneven patches indicate the heat has been insufficient.
3. 3
   Return the sofregit to the pan, surrounding and partially covering the chicken. Add the tomates concassées, the white wine, and the bouquet garni. Stir to combine. Bring to a low simmer on the hob, then cover and transfer to an oven preheated to 160 °C. Braise for 35 to 40 minutes. The braise is done when the chicken is fully tender and yields without resistance when pierced at the thigh joint.
4. 4
   Remove the lid and, if necessary, return the pan to the hob over a medium flame for a few minutes to reduce the sauce. The sauce is at the correct consistency when it has thickened to a dense, almost spreadable pepper compote that clings to each piece of chicken without pooling freely. The colour should be an intense, saturated red-orange throughout.
5. 5
   Discard the bouquet garni. Scatter fresh flat-leaf parsley over the dish and finish with a drizzle of good olive oil. Serve immediately with riz pilaf or steamed potatoes, the sauce spooned generously over both.