Servings:
4 (and they're mighty mighty)
Preparation Time:
2 hours
Ingredients

• one free-range chicken, quartered (or 4 leg/thigh quarters, if you don't mind the fat)
• softened butter
• olive oil
• 4 bell peppers (or equivalent amount of spicy peppers), butterflied and deseeded
• spices: paprika, fresh thyme, sea salt, fresh ground pepper, bay leaves, sugar
• 2 sweet yellow onions, finely sliced
• red wine
• lemon
• Casserole with lid, or large baking tray and aluminum foil

Cooking Instructions
First off, this tastes better if you just use the dark meat. Chicken breasts are kinda gross, let's be honest. However, I understand the need for dietary restraint, and if you actually like chicken breasts, then you will like them more this way.

Second, as far as peppers go, this dish is perfectly good if you use sweet bell peppers. However, if you're up for a little heat you can mix in some spice. I would especially recommend poblano, serrano, and piquin peppers in this dish. The quantity of peppers may seem a little arbitrary, but just keep in mind that whatever peppers you choose need to completely cover the bottom of your casserole. Just use your noggin, for chrissake.

Third, this is not really trad-Basque, as it were. The recipe that I'm bastardizing herein actually comes from a French cookbook that called it Basque chicken. My assumption, after reading a bunch of weird Basque cookbooks, is that this is a more Pyrenees or Pays-Basque Southeastern French version, but then also remember that it's been through the lens of Whitney Ray. Chances are, nobody you serve it to will really know that much about Basque cooking, but if you are actually of Basque descent and come across this, please know that I call it that affectionately and with utter reverence towards your culinary traditions.

Ok, so that was longer than most of Noah's recipes, but hey, it all bears mentioning, so quit with the boo-hoo.

Steps:

Preheat oven to 450

Rinse chicken pieces and pat dry. Make small punctures in the flesh with a paring knife- feel free to go deep, but spread them out enough that the skin doesn't begin to come apart. That would be very sad.

Rub chicken pieces with softened butter. Rub in fresh thyme, sea salt, and pepper to taste. Squirt with lemon juice and set aside.

Using a mixing spatula or your fingers, grease a large casserole with olive oil. Cover the bottom of the casserole with the butterflied peppers, skin side up.

Heat a few glugs of oil in a large skillet or pan on high heat. Fry the 4 chicken pieces for 5 minutes on each side, and try not to disturb them so the skin will get nice and crispy.

Place the chicken pieces gently atop the pepper layer in the casserole. Dust with paprika. Place a few bay leaves as desired.

Smother peppers and chicken with sliced onions. Pour 1/2 cup or so of red wine over onions.

Cover dish and bake for 1 hour. Remove cover, raise heat to 500, and continue to bake for 20-30 minutes, or until onions begin to burn.

Serve with roasted potatoes, crusty bread, butter, and lemon wedges. Salad is good too, but put some fruit in it, as the meal is pretty dang hearty and intense.

Source:
basque people, french people, me
Notes
This is a rustic braising technique that uses vegetables for the liquid. The chicken will be tender with a crisp-ish skin and tons of flavor, and the vegetables will be caramelized, rich and smoky. Great for any time of year.