Braised Basque Chicken Recipes

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the chicken evenly with salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the skillet, in batches, if necessary, and brown on all sides. Transfer the meat to the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker.
• Add the onions, garlic, bell peppers, paprika and thyme to the skillet and saute until soft, 7-8 minutes.
• Deglaze the pan with the vinegar and broth, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Add to the slow cooker, along with the chorizo, and stir to combine. Cover and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours (or on high for 3 to 4 hours), until the chicken is tender and cooked through.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Season chicken on both sides with salt and paprika. Heat an ovenproof 12-inch skillet or shallow braising pan over medium-high heat. Swirl in oil. Working in 2 batches, add chicken to pan and cook until well browned, about 2 minutes on each side, adding more oil as needed. Transfer chicken as it is browned to a plate.
• Reduce heat to low and stir in garlic, then tomato paste, scraping up browned bits in pan with a wooden spoon. Return chicken to skillet, increase heat to high, and pour in vinegar. Boil, stirring, until reduced to a glaze.
• Stir in broth and bring to a boil. Add peppers and olives. Transfer to oven and braise until a thermometer inserted into thickest part of breast (do not touch bone) reaches 160 degrees and liquid is reduced by half, 20 to 25 minutes. Garnish with parsley.

Steps:

• Cut the bell peppers in half lengthwise and remove the seeds.Grill or broil,skin side toward the flame (or heating element),until the skin is bubbly (about 15 minutes in an electric oven).
• While the peppers are broiling,prepare the onion and garlic.Place 1/3 of the fat in a large frying pan and melt it over medium heat. Add the pork belly and cook for a few minutes to release some of the fat. Add the onion and 3 cloves of the garlic.Cook,stirring occasionally,until translucent,about 10 minutes.
• Remove the peppers from the oven or grill and place in a paper bag for a few minutes.When the peppers have cooled slightly,remove the skin.Coarsely chop the peppers (there should be about 2 1/2 cups).
• Add the bell peppers and the hot peppers to the onions and garlic.Increase the heat and allow the mixture to color slightly.Add the tomatoes. Continue cooking over high heat for about 5 minutes,or until the tomatoes have collapsed.Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook,partially covered and stirring occasionally,for 40 minutes.
• Twenty minutes before the vegetables are done,season the chicken with salt and pepper.Place the remaining fat in a large,straight-sided frying pan,a wide-mouthed stock pot or braiser.Melt the fat over medium-high heat.Add the chicken pieces,two cloves of garlic,bay leaves and thyme.Brown the chicken on all sides,working in two batches if necessary,so there is no trace of red.
• Return all of the chicken to the pot and add the vegetable mixture. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat and cook at a low simmer for 30 minutes.

Steps:

• season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper and set aside Heat a large deep skillet over medium heat. Add the chorizo and cook untill lightly browned about 5 min. Transfer the chorizo to a plate. Heat the EVO in the skillet. Add the chicken pieces and cook, turning once, until well browned about 15 min. Remove chicken to same plate with chorizo. Slice the chorizo diagonally into 1" chunks when it is cool enough to handle.. Add the onion, bell peppers and garlic to the skillet. Saute until softened, about 2 min. Add the mushrooms, paprika, thyme, crushed red chili and saute another 3 minutes or so. Add the tomatoes and sherry and deglaze the pan, scraping up the stuck bits. Stir in the chopped hot cherry pepper or olives and orange zest. Return the chicken and chorizo and all their juices back into the skillet . Place the orange slices around the pan. Pour the chicken broth over all. Cover and simmer on moderate heat, stirring gently on occasion, until chicken is cooked through, about 35-45 minutes, uncover and simmer another 10 minutes or untill sauce has thickened a bit. Alternately, you can place the skillet uncovered in a 350 oven and braise for 35-45 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Stir in the fresh basil/ parsley Serve over rice, cous cous or pasta. Also terrific served with creamy mashed potatoes or cruchy roasted spiced potatoes. Sometimes we just sop it up with a yummy crusty bread and a crisp green salad on the side. No rules, just enjoy!