Basque Chicken (Poulet Basquaise)

Floyd's Basque Chicken

PLATE OF SUNSHINE RATING: Sunny spells, warm

My first Floydian recipe in the Eddie On Floyd experiment was a success! Last Saturday night, I made Basque Chicken from the marvellous Floyd on France. I was cooking for Ryan and Sarah. It was a simple, thorough, filling dish, which took a little time but not a lot, and which was full of Floyd’s coveted “sunshine taste of happiness”. I sipped from a modest ouzo and lemonade while I prepared it.

The recipe:

1 plump chicken, jointed (I used 3 large breasts)

Flour

Oil

Salt and pepper

100g onions, finely chopped

2 red peppers, de-seeded and sliced

2 green peppers, de-seeded and sliced

4 tomatoes, peeled, de-seeded and chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed (I used 3 large cloves)

Sprig of thyme

1 bayleaf (I used 2)

Good pinch of cayenne pepper (it was definitely a ‘good’ pinch)

1 glass dry white wine

How to make it:

Dredge the chicken pieces in flour and fry in oil for about 10 minutes until golden brown. Season with salt and pepper and remove from the pan.

Fry the onions and peppers until soft, return the chicken to the pan and add all the other ingredients. Simmer gently, turning the chicken from time to time, for about 45 minutes or until the vegetables have amalgamated to form a rich sauce. Add a little chicken stock if the sauce becomes too thick during cooking. Check the seasoning before serving.

In his book, Floyd describes Basque country as being “famous for its mountain-cured hams and for its fish dishes. Strong seasoning characterises Basque cuisine.”

I served the poulet with some rice (my father’s secret recipe) and a simple side salad. The diners were kind; Ryan said it was full of flavour, the chicken was tender and tasty and the cayenne pepper made it a smidge spicy but not too much. Sarah said it was the best chicken she had eaten in a long time. I should say that the bird was from a local butchers, and it was spot-on, way better than any supermarket fare I can remember. There aren’t many butchers left on our high streets, so it was a surprise to find a queue snaking out the door of this one. I was happy to join the line because the poultry – and the four rashers of bacon I picked up – were of excellent quality.

I’m going to add recipes in the Recipes section (see tabs at the top of the page) and pictures in the Visuals section as I go along, so take a look and try it yourself if you feel so inclined.

All in all, a successful evening, and a good kickstart for my culinary confidence. The “plate of sunshine taste of happiness and love” is coming along nicely. Cheers!

Floyd's Basque Chicken, just before serving

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