• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

Braised Basque Chicken

The Basque region is in the western Pyrenees, which run along the border between France and Spain. Its cuisine varies from place to place, but this chicken dish can be found on many restaurant menus in the region. Chicken with sausage, bell peppers, onions, and paprika is braised until the chicken is falling off the bone, and a sauce coats the chicken and vegetables. It’s delicious served with crusty bread and a green salad with avocados and oranges.

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

10 chicken thighs, skin removed

1½ teaspoons salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 medium onions, cut into half rounds

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 medium red bell peppers, seeded and cut into ½-inch-thick slices

1 medium yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into ½-inch-thick slices

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

1 teaspoon dried thyme

2 tablespoons sherry vinegar

1 cup chicken broth

4 ounces Spanish chorizo or sopressata (see savvy), cut into ½-inch dice

heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the chicken evenly with the salt and pepper.

add the chicken to the skillet and brown on all sides. Transfer the browned 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 sauté until the vegetables are softened, 7 to 8 minutes.

deglaze the pan with the vinegar and broth, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Transfer the contents of the skillet to the slow-cooker insert. Add the chorizo and stir to combine. Cover and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours, until the chicken is tender and cooked through.

skim off any fat from the top of the sauce and serve the stew from the cooker set on warm.

serves 8

* * *

salami savvy

Spanish chorizo may be difficult to find in your area, but sopressata, a salami that is cured with wine, makes a nice substitute.

Spicy Asian Braised Napa Cabbage Wraps

I love lettuce wraps at Asian restaurants—the cooling lettuce against the warm and spicy chopped chicken and vegetables is great combination. This wrap pairs the spicy chicken with Napa cabbage, and braises the cabbage like traditional stuffed cabbage rolls. These wraps make a delicious dinner, served over stir-fried noodles.

1 head Napa cabbage

2 cups chicken broth

½ cup soy sauce

4 slices fresh ginger

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger

6 canned water chestnuts, finely chopped

2 chicken breast halves, skin and bones removed, finely chopped

4 green onions, finely chopped, using the white and tender green parts

2 tablespoons hoisin sauce

1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with

2 tablespoons water

core the cabbage and separate the leaves, being careful not to tear them. Put the broth, soy sauce, and ginger in a large stockpot and bring to a boil.

blanch the cabbage leaves, one at a time, for 30 seconds until limp. Drain the leaves and set aside. Add the broth mixture to the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. Cover and set on warm while preparing the filling.

heat the oil in a sauté pan over high heat. Add the garlic, ginger, and water chestnuts and sauté for 30 seconds. Add the chicken and cook until the chicken turns white, 3 to 5 minutes.

transfer the contents of the pan to a bowl and stir in the green onions and hoisin sauce. Place 2 to 3 tablespoons of filling at the stem end of a cabbage leaf and roll up, tucking in the sides of the leaf as you go. Place the cabbage wraps on a rack in the slow cooker.

cover and cook on high for 1½ to 2 hours, until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the wraps and set aside. Strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the cornstarch mixture and bring back to a boil.

serve the wraps with the sauce on the side.

serves 8

Basic Poached Chicken Breasts

If you need a lot of chicken meat for a salad luncheons or casseroles, then this is