So Many Dishes

My time in France has been very limited. I guess you can count the time we transited through DeGaulle in June 2001, when Ken and I made a return visit to Prague. Our only other French experience was on our first Viking river cruise two years ago, when we sailed through Alsace on the Rhine. I wasn’t feeling great the day we were in Strasbourg, so we went back to the ship early, but our next day in Colmar was magical.

We’ll be exploring another area of France next summer, as we’re booked on yet another Viking cruise. This one explores the region of Bordeaux; the tour is titled Chateaux, Rivers, and Wine. Needless to say, I’m excited. But we will not be visiting the area where Sunday’s recipe came from, the Basque region.

If you’re like me, when you hear “Basque,” you think of Spain. But actually, the Basque Country extends over the Pyrenees into southern France. My understanding of Basque cuisine is that features the flavors of the fresh vegetables included in dishes, and isn’t highly spiced. That certainly is borne out by the recipe I cooked.

Poulet Basquaise, or Basque chicken, is from France, the Beautiful Cookbook. The Beautiful cookbooks were a series published by a division of Time-Life. I was always a sucker for those Time-Life subscriptions. Currently, I have ten of these coffee table books, plus there are two or three that are on Ben’s shelves. Beautiful is a good descriptor. There are sections describing the country, with gorgeous photos, as well as pictures of the included dishes that make my mouth water.

This recipe is not difficult, and the result is absolutely delicious. My adjustments, except for one, are minor. The recipe calls for a 5-ounce slice of Bayonne ham, cut into small cubes. Bayonne ham is a traditional air-cured, dry-cured pork similar to prosciutto. Another substitute with a similar flavor is the Spanish jamon Serrano. I’m sure it would be marvelous with the real thing, but I’ve always taken easy route and used an off-the-bone ham from the deli. Someday, if I can keep myself from wrapping it around some melon, I’ll use prosciutto.

As I said, my other changes are minor. Rather than using four small green peppers, I used two large colored ones. A well-drained can of diced tomatoes is a lot easier than peeling and seeding fresh. Generally, instead of adding the small fresh chili called for, I’ll include a piece of a Cubanelle. However, I forgot to buy one this time, so we simply added some red pepper flakes at the table.

Basque Chicken

• 2 large bell peppers, seeded and cut into thin strips
• 1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes, well drained
• 2 to 3 lbs. chicken pieces
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion (about 6 ounces), chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 5 ounces ham (Bayonne ham or prosciutto to be authentic), cut into small cubes
• 1/2 Cubanelle or Hungarian wax pepper (or one smaller fresh chili), seeded and finely chopped
• 2/3 cup dry white wine

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a nonstick sauté pan and lightly brown the chicken pieces on all sides. Remove from the pan. Add the onions and garlic and stir for 1 minute. Add the ham, peppers, and Cubanelle or chili and cook over low heat, stirring, for 5 minutes.

Return the chicken to the pan, pour in the wine, and let it evaporate over high heat for 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes; season to taste with additional salt and pepper, if necessary. Cover and cook over low heat until the chicken is cooked, about 45 minutes.

Transfer the chicken to a shallow dish. Boil the cooking liquid over high heat to slightly thicken, an additional 3 minutes. Pour over the chicken and serve immediately. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

We always serve this over rice, as it’s quite saucy. I like to make Valencia or another medium grain rice with this dish; we had a medium grain rice that’s grown in the US but processed in Puerto Rico, and supposedly is the favorite rice there. What does it say about Ken and me that we have five different types of white rice in our house?

Happy eating, everyone!