Spain GP 2019: Basque Chicken
Our good friends (with equally good taste in wine) have made it a tradition to join us for the Spanish GP. Last year Rob even made Paella as a guest chef! They brought a gorgeous bottle of crisp Spanish style Albarino white wine, we sat out in the back yard and had tapas and caught up, and then had a wonderful meal together. Basque style chicken thighs in a rich tomato and sweet pepper sauce, fresh green salad, creamy fava beans, and smoked paprika roasted potatoes. Cheers to a new tradition and good friends!
Basque Chicken
Adapted from Pintxos by Gerald Hirigoyen
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
½ yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
4 medium garlic cloves, thinly sliced
3 ripe plum tomatoes, seeded and coarsely chopped
Kosher salt
Piment d'Espelette or hot paprika
4 large skin on chicken thighs (or 8 smaller ones)
Freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
¼ cup sherry vinegar
Chopped flat-leaf parsley (optional)
1. In a large ovenproof skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the onions, bell peppers and garlic and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook until softened and all of the liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes longer.
2. Transfer the vegetables to a blender and puree until smooth. Season the vegetable puree with salt and Piment d'Espelette.
3. Wash and dry the skillet. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in the ovenproof skillet. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, add to the skillet, skin side down. Cook over moderately high heat, turning once, until the chicken is golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. Transfer the chicken to a platter and pour off the fat in the skillet.
4. Add the brown sugar to the skillet and cook over high heat, whisking constantly, until melted, about 1 minute. Off the heat, carefully whisk in the vinegar; turn away to avoid the fumes. Cook over moderate heat, whisking and scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet, until thick and syrupy, about 1 minute. Add the vegetable puree and bring to a boil. Return the chicken thighs to the skillet, skin side up. Cover and simmer the chicken over low heat until cooked through, about 10-15 minutes.
5. Preheat the broiler and position a rack 8 inches from the heat. Uncover the skillet and broil the chicken until the skin is lightly browned and crisp, about 2 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a platter, spoon the sauce on top and serve garnished with parsley (if desired).