hearty and rich, two of my favourite adjectives

Truth be told, I’ve no idea if this chicken casserole is from Basque country since it orginated mostly from my brain.

However the flavours of red peppers, tomato, paprika and garlic definitely say ‘Basque‘ to me (actually I can’t really hear them over the cry of ‘MOAR’ coming from my belly but I imagine that’s what they say).

Take the above fusion of lovely flavours, shove them in a pot with some chicken and let everything simmer together in the oven for a while.

It’s not elegant, it’s not fussy but it sure is tasty.

Basque Chicken (serves 2)

• 2 chicken thighs
• 1 large tomato, diced
• 1/2 red onion, sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced
• 2 tbsps EVOO or butter
• 2 large cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 tsps paprika
• 2 tsps fresh thyme, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 cup chicken broth

1. Heat the olive oil/butter in a large frying pan and, once the oil has reached a high heat, place the chicken in the pan. Sear it for five minutes on each side, you want the chicken to brown but not completely cook through.
2. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside in a casserole dish.
3. Add all the other ingredients to the pan and let simmer for 10 minutes until it is a thick, soupy mixture.
   

   thick, soupy mixture

4. Pour this on top of the chicken, making sure all the ingredients mingle.
5. Cover and put in the oven at 375 for 30 minutes.
   

   then we feast!