Chicken Basquaise, Part I

The Washington Post, September 26, 2007

• • Course: Main Course

Summary:

This aromatic mixture of onions, peppers and dried Basque seasonings is good enough to eat on its own. It takes about an hour to prepare, and then can be paired with scrambled eggs for the Sunday Supper and as a braising sauce for Chicken Basquaise, Part II.

Removing the skins of the bell peppers and tomatoes will ensure a smooth, almost creamy texture for the piperade, which can be refrigerated for up to 4 days or packed in an airtight container and frozen for up to 2 months.

4 servings

Ingredients:

• • 4 medium green bell peppers
• • 2 medium red bell peppers
• • 6 medium tomatoes
• • 2 large Spanish or Vidalia onions, ends trimmed
• • 3 tablespoons olive oil
• • 3 mild chili peppers, stemmed, seeded and cut into thin strips (may substitute with a small red bell pepper)
• • 2 to 4 medium cloves garlic, minced (germ removed)
• • 2 teaspoons sea salt, or more to taste
• • Pinch sugar
• • 2 sprigs thyme
• • 1 bay leaf
• • 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon piment d'Espelette (may substitute Anaheim chili powder or chili powder)
• • Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Position the top oven rack 4 to 5 inches from the broiling element; preheat the broiler. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Boil a kettle of water.

Meanwhile, stem the bell peppers, discarding their seeds and ribs; cut so they can lie flat, skin side up, on the baking sheet. Broil for several minutes, until their skins are well blistered; transfer to a bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap and let sit for a few minutes so that steam loosens the skins. Discard the skin and cut the peppers lengthwise into 1/2-inch-wide strips. Set aside.

Cut a small X on the bottom of each tomato. When the kettle of boiling water is ready, place the tomatoes in a heatproof mixing bowl and pour enough water over them to cover completely. Let sit for 1 to 2 minutes, then drain. Peel the tomatoes and cut into chunks; there should be about 3 cups total. Set aside.

Cut the onions in half from top to bottom, then lay each piece cut side down on a cutting board and cut each piece in half again from top to bottom, stopping just short of the root end; cut each onion half crosswise into thin slices; there should be about 4 cups total.

Place a large, high-sided skillet or casserole with a cover over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of the oil. Warm the oil for a minute, then add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes, until the onions have picked up some color. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the skillet, then add the strips of peppers and the chilis. Cover and reduce the heat to medium-low; cook for about 20 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the tomatoes, garlic to taste, salt, sugar, thyme, bay leaf, piment d’Espelette and a few grinds of black pepper to the skillet, mixing well to combine. Cover and cook for 10 minutes, then remove the lid and let the piperade cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. There will be a fair amount of liquid. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper or piment d’Espelette.

Use a slotted spoon to transfer 2 cups of the mixture to a bowl. Spoon in a little of the cooking liquid; cover and set aside to make the Sunday Supper (see related recipe). Transfer the remaining mixture to an airtight container; refrigerate until needed.

Recipe Source:

From food writer Dorie Greenspan.

99 calories, 5g fat, 1g saturated fat, n/a cholesterol, 492mg sodium, 12g carbohydrates, 3g dietary fiber, 2g protein.