Basque-style chicken
Description
The dish is prepared without unnecessary complications. Basque-style chicken is one of my favorite dishes from that region. The chicken meat cooked according to this recipe turns out incredibly tender and soft—there's simply no comparison with chicken merely baked in the oven. The chicken absorbs the juices from the peppers and tomatoes, becoming savory and aromatic. You don't even need a side dish—just sprinkle it with fresh herbs, such as parsley. Delicious! Recipe for Basque-style chicken: 1. Peel the tomatoes (by pouring boiling water over them) and cut into cubes. Remove the membranes and seeds from the peppers and slice them into long strips. Peel and slice the onion into half-rings. Finely chop the garlic. 2. Prepare the chicken. In my case, I used chicken legs, but in the original recipe, a whole chicken should be used, cut into 10 pieces. Season with salt and pepper. 3. Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet and sear the chicken pieces over high heat until a crust forms. Once the chicken is nicely browned, remove it from the skillet and drain on paper towels to remove excess fat. 4. Add the vegetables to the same skillet and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. Then pour in the white wine and continue simmering for 25–30 minutes over low heat. Next, return the chicken to the skillet, gently mix everything together, and simmer covered until the chicken is fully cooked—approximately 15–20 minutes. Pierce the chicken; if clear juice runs out, it's done. "Or on egin," as the Basques say. The dish is now ready to serve.