Basque-Style Chicken with Chorizo
Cook Time
About 1 hour
Yield
Serves 4
RECIPE Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons Duck Fat
- 4 Organic Air-Chilled Chicken Thighs
- 4 Organic Air-Chilled Chicken Drumsticks
- Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper
- 3 teaspoons piment d’Espelette, divided use
- 4 links Chorizo Sausage, cut in half lengthwise then into ¼-inch slices
- 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 2 red bell peppers, seeded and thinly sliced
- 1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
- ½ cup dry sherry or white wine
- 1 can whole tomatoes, about 14 ounces, coarsely chopped, juices reserved
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
- 3 tablespoons chopped flat leaf parsley
- Crusty bread, for serving
Recipe notes
This comforting Basque-style chicken recipe is quickly braised with peppers, onions, tomatoes, and chorizo sausage. The saucy dish is like sunshine in a bowl! Serve with plenty of crusty bread to sop up the spicy broth.
RECIPE Preparation
- Heat duck fat in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt, pepper, and 1 teaspoon of piment d’Espelette. Working in batches, sear the chicken until nicely browned, about 4 minutes each side. Remove chicken to a rimmed plate. Pour off all but about 2-3 tablespoons of fat.
- To the same pan, add the chorizo; sauté until browned and slightly crisp, about 4 minutes. Remove chorizo with a slotted spoon and set aside.
- To the same pan add onion, garlic, red pepper, yellow pepper and remaining piment d’Espelette; sauté until vegetables start to soften, about 5 minutes. Carefully add wine, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan; cook for about 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and their juice; cook about 2 minutes. Stir in chicken stock and thyme. Raise heat to high and cook until liquid is reduced by half.
- Lower heat to maintain a simmer. Stir in chorizo. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper, if desired. Place chicken pieces and any accumulated juices into the pan, nestling the chicken into the mixture, skin-side-up. Cook, partially covered, until chicken is cooked through, about 20-25 minutes. Garnish with parsley before serving with crusty bread.
Recipe tips: If you prefer a thicker sauce, remove chicken pieces to a sheet pan after they're finished cooking in step 4 and raise heat to high, cooking the sauce until it's thickened to your liking. If you prefer a crispy skin on your chicken, while sauce is thickening, place chicken under a broiler on high, until browned and crisp, about 5 minutes.
