Name: Poulet Basquaise (Basque-Style Chicken with Summer Vegetables)
Cuisine: フレンチ
Ingredients: 2 bone-in chicken thighs; 1 onion; 2 tomatoes; 1/2 red bell pepper; 1/2 yellow bell pepper; 1 clove garlic; 200 ml white wine; Water (enough to submerge ingredients); Piment d'Espelette, to taste; 2 dried red chili peppers (takanotsume); 1 sachet bouquet garni; Salt, to taste; White pepper, to taste; 1 tbsp olive oil; Butter rice, optional (150g rice, 1 cup water, 20g onion, 15g carrot, 10g celery, 15g unsalted butter)

About "Poulet Basquaise (Basque-Style Chicken with Summer Vegetables)"

Chef Kiyomi Mikuni shares his home-friendly version of "Poulet Basquaise," a traditional French regional dish featuring Espelette pepper from the Basque region. Bone-in chicken thighs are simmered in white wine with summer vegetables like bell peppers, tomatoes, and onions, creating a harmonious balance of spicy heat and natural vegetable sweetness. If Espelette pepper is hard to find, red chili peppers can be used as a substitute, allowing you to adjust the spiciness to your liking. Serving it with a side of butter rice makes for a highly satisfying meal that pairs beautifully with the rich sauce.

Video Timestamps

Tips for Making "Poulet Basquaise (Basque-Style Chicken with Summer Vegetables)"

Prep
- Cut bone-in chicken thighs easily at the joint. Season generously with salt and white pepper.
Searing
- Sear chicken skin-side down over high heat. Do not compromise on browning, as it builds deep flavor.
Heat & Garlic
- Add a garlic clove to the hot oil; when it sizzles and browns, the oil is at the perfect temperature.
Deglazing
- Scrape the browned bits off the bottom after adding white wine to dissolve the rich flavors into the sauce.
Skimming
- Skim the foam after boiling, but keep it to a minimum to avoid losing the Espelette flavor and umami.
Simmering
- After skimming, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer gently for 30 to 40 minutes.
Spices
- Espelette pepper offers unique sweetness and aroma. Substitute with dried red chilies if unavailable.
Substitutions
- If bone-in chicken thighs are unavailable, use a mix of regular chicken thighs and wings.

Ingredients for "Poulet Basquaise (Basque-Style Chicken with Summer Vegetables)"

15 items

* Tap ingredient names to find on Amazon

2bone-in chicken thighs
1onion
2tomatoes
1/2red bell pepper
1/2yellow bell pepper
1clove garlic
200ml white wine
Water(enough to submerge ingredients)
Pimentd'Espelette, to taste
2dried red chili peppers (takanotsume)
1sachet bouquet garni
Salt,to taste
Whitepepper, to taste
1tbsp olive oil
Butterrice, optional (150g rice, 1 cup water, 20g onion, 15g carrot, 10g celery, 15g unsalted butter)

How to Make "Poulet Basquaise (Basque-Style Chicken with Summer Vegetables)"

1
Cut the bone-in chicken thighs at the joint and remove any excess fat. Season generously with salt and white pepper.
2
Cut the onion, tomatoes, and red and yellow bell peppers into bite-sized pieces.
3
Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a pot and add 1 clove of garlic to check the oil temperature (it is ready when the garlic sizzles and starts to brown).
4
Place the chicken in the pot skin-side down and sear over high heat until well-browned. Sear until fragrant without burning.
5
Once the chicken is browned, add the onion, tomatoes, and bell peppers, and stir-fry briefly over high heat.
6
Add 200 ml of white wine and bring to a boil, scraping the browned bits off the bottom of the pot to dissolve the flavor.
7
Add Espelette pepper (to taste), 2 dried red chili peppers, and 1 sachet of bouquet garni, then pour in enough water to just submerge the ingredients.
8
Bring to a boil over high heat and skim off any foam that rises to the surface, keeping skimming to a minimum.
9
Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer gently for 30 to 40 minutes.
10
To make the butter rice, place 150g rice, 1 cup water, 20g finely chopped onion, 15g finely chopped carrot, 10g finely chopped celery, and 15g unsalted butter into a rice cooker and cook as usual.
11
Plate the simmered chicken and vegetables along with the sauce. Pack the butter rice into a mold to shape it into a round mound, place it next to the chicken, and serve.

Detailed Commentary on "Poulet Basquaise (Basque-Style Chicken with Summer Vegetables)"

* Content organized by topics from the video.

Poulet Basquaise and Its Special Chili

Chef Mikuni introduces 'Poulet Basquaise,' a home-style dish from the Basque region spanning the border of France and Spain. Essential to this dish is the Basque specialty, Espelette pepper. This chili is not just spicy; it has a unique sweetness and aroma that defines Basque cuisine. Although it might be hard to find, the chef passionately encourages trying to source it. Today, we will use this Espelette pepper to create a spicy, savory stew of chicken and summer vegetables.

Prep and Seasoning of Bone-In Chicken

Prepare two bone-in chicken thighs as the main ingredient. If you don't have bone-in thighs, a combination of regular chicken thighs and wings works beautifully too. Trim off excess fat, though you can leave it on for home cooking. Cutting through the joint makes dividing the meat surprisingly easy. Season the cut chicken with salt and white pepper. The chef shares his philosophy of 'white pepper for white meat,' noting that seasoning it a bit generously with pepper is key.

Searing Chicken Skin-Side Down

Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a pot. To check the oil temperature, toss in 1 clove of garlic first. When it sizzles and starts to color, the oil is ready. Place the chicken skin-side down and sear thoroughly over high heat without burning. This sear transforms into incredible umami during simmering, so don't compromise on this step. The chef cooks with high energy, saying, 'We're going all out, like Beethoven's Fate Symphony!'

Adding Summer Veggies, Wine, and Spices

Once the chicken is beautifully browned, add 1 chopped onion, 2 tomatoes, and 1/2 each of red and yellow bell peppers to the pot. Stir-fry briefly over high heat, letting the vegetables absorb the savory browned bits from the bottom. Pour in 200 ml of white wine and bring to a boil to cook off the alcohol and concentrate the flavors. Next, add your desired amount of Basque Espelette pepper (generously for a spicy kick), the garlic clove, 2 dried red chilies, and 1 sachet of bouquet garni.

Adding Water and Simmering Gently

Once the white wine has reduced slightly, add enough water to just submerge the ingredients. Bring to a boil over high heat and carefully skim off the foam. However, skimming too much will remove the precious Espelette flavor and umami, so keep it to a minimum. Once skimmed, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer gently for 30 to 40 minutes. After 40 minutes, uncover to find tender, melt-in-your-mouth vegetables and perfectly infused chicken.

Easy Rice Cooker Butter Rice

To accompany the Poulet Basquaise, prepare the chef's special butter rice. It's incredibly easy: just place 150g rice, 1 cup water, finely chopped aromatics (20g onion, 15g carrot, 10g celery), and 15g unsalted butter into a rice cooker and cook normally. The chef guarantees, 'It's a shortcut, but truly delicious.' Once cooked, fluff the butter rice, pack it into a ramekin or mold to shape it, and plate it alongside the simmered chicken, summer vegetables, and rich sauce.

Flavor Harmony and Wine Pairing

Now, time to taste. One bite of the tender chicken and bell peppers fills your mouth with the spicy kick of Espelette and the sweetness of the vegetables. The rich flavor from the bones is deeply infused into the meat, pairing perfectly with the butter rice. To accompany this spicy dish, pair it with a Spanish red wine, 'Conde de San Cristóbal.' Its unique depth and aromas of plum and cacao complement the spicy Basque chicken beautifully. It's an irresistible dish for adults who love a bit of heat.

Spicy & Delicious! French Regional Dish "Poulet Basquaise" with Chicken Thighs and Summer Vegetables [#404-Part 2 with Subtitles] | Chef Kiyomi MIKUNI