Everyday Opulence

Thank you for joining our Everyday Opulence workshop! Here are the recipes, and playlist from our online class.

You can find the rice pilaf recipe here.

Poulet Basquaise (Basque Chicken) or Artichaut Basquaise (Vegan Option) 

Poulet Basquaise is a French dish that originates from the Basque region, a popular home-cooked meal in France. Basque Country is located in the Western Pyrenees Mountains and straddles the border of Spain and France. The stew base is a piperade made with bell peppers, onions, tomato, and piment d'espelette, and the colors of the stew are said to mirror the colors of the Basque flag. This meal is delicious and easy to make during the week for a quick and chic meal. To add opulence, serve with rice pilaf (toasted rice and onions cooked in chicken stock). 

Poulet Basquaise

Poulet Basquaise

With artichokes and turned potatoes

With artichokes and turned potatoes

Recipe Type: Weeknight Meal

Time: 1 Hour

Servings: 4

Ingredients

Four whole chicken legs*

One red bell pepper

One green bell pepper

One medium tomato or two whole canned tomatoes

One small onion

Three Cloves of Garlic

One tablespoon of tomato paste

1/8 cup of white wine

Two cups of water

One teaspoon of piment d'espelette or ½ teaspoon of Cayenne pepper + 1 teaspoon of paprika 

One sprig of thyme (fresh or dried)

One bay leaf

Chicken Bouillon Cube (one teaspoon of powder) or two cups of Chicken Stock*

Salt & Pepper

Olive Oil

*Vegan substitutes 

Substitute chicken with 4 whole large artichoke hearts or one and a half pounds of cleaned baby artichokes & around 500 grams or 1 lb of washed fingerling potatoes

Substitute chicken stock for one teaspoon of vegan dashi powder or vegetable stock

Equipment

Cutting Board and knife

One large pot that will hold all four chicken legs comfortably

Tongs

Instructions

If you’re making the vegan version of this meal, skip steps one and three. Serve with rice pilaf.

  1. Generously season the chicken legs with salt and pepper. If possible, do this an hour before cooking and let the chicken legs come to room temperature. 

  2. Prepare the vegetables. Wash the produce, then cut the tops and bottoms of the bell peppers and remove the seeds. Then cut the bell pepper into ¼ inch strips. Peel the onion and cut lengthwise down the center, and cut into ¼ inch slices vertically. Mince the three cloves of garlic, and cut tomato(es) into ½ inch cubes.

  3. Dry any moisture off the chicken legs with a paper towel. Heat the pot over medium-high heat. When the pot is hot, add two or three tablespoons of olive oil to the pot. When the oil is hot (it will shimmer, and the oil will move very quickly around the pot—like water), add the chicken legs skin side down and cook for five minutes or so until the skin browns. Make sure to adjust the heat accordingly to prevent the skin from burning. Flip and cook for another three minutes or so until the other side of the chicken browns. Carefully remove the chicken legs and set them on a plate.

  4. Adjust the heat to medium and add the onions and bell peppers and cook for a few minutes until they start to soften. Stir the onions and bell peppers occasionally. Add oil as needed to avoid burning. 

  5. Then, add the garlic and cook for just a minute. Add tomato paste and cook for another minute. Once cooked, add the white wine to deglaze the pan and stir to remove any brown bits from the pan. Cook for a minute to cook out the alcohol.

  6. Place the chicken legs back into the pot skin side up, add chopped tomatoes, two cups of water + bouillon or chicken stock if using. 

    • If you’re making the vegan version of this recipe, add the artichoke, potatoes, tomatoes, and one teaspoon of vegan dashi + water or vegetable stock into the pot. 

  7. Add piment d'espelette or cayenne pepper + paprika, the thyme and bay leaf, a generous pinch of salt, and freshly ground pepper. Bring the pot to a gentle simmer, and place the lid on the pot. Let cook for 20-30 minutes, checking on the chicken (or artichoke/potatoes) periodically. 

  8. When there are 10 minutes left in cooking time, taste the broth and season with salt and pepper, and give the mixture a gentle stir. The stew is ready when the chicken thighs (and artichokes & potatoes) are cooked and tender when pierced with the tip of a knife. 

How to Serve

  • Remove the thyme stems and bay leaf. In a shallow bowl, scoop some rice pilaf into the bowl, serve with the chicken and spoon the sauce and peppers over the chicken and rice. 

Suggested Wine Pairings

I recommend a full-bodied red wine to stand up to the spices, such as something from Bordeaux, a Côtes du Rhône, Malbec, or Shiraz.