Basque Chicken (p. 45 )
Steven Raichlen’s High-Flavor, Low-Fat Chicken (Steven Raichlen)

The Basque region lies in the Pyrenees Mountains, straddling the border of France and Spain. The local cooking is characterized by the assertative flavors of bell peppers, dried chilies, and country ham. This recipe calls for a cut-up whole chicken, but you can certainly use straight legs, thighs, or breast meat.

1 3-1/2- to 4-pound chicken, cut into 8 equal-size pieces
salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons flour
4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into strips or 1-inch dice
1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into strips or 1-inch dice
1 yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into strips or 1-inch dice
1 to 2 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, Smithfield ham, or Canadian bacon, cut into matchstick slivers
1 tablespoon paprika (preferably hot), or to taste
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon hot pepper flakes (optional--use them if using mild paprika)
1 large ripe tomato, cut into 1/2-inch dice (about 1 cup)
1 cup Chicken Stock
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1. Remove the skin from the chicken and trim off any visible pieces of fat. Wash the chicken pieces and blot dry. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and lightly sprinkle with flour.

2. Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in a large nonstick sauté pan. Brown the chicken in the oil over medium-high heat, turning the pieces with tongs, working in several batches as needed to avoid crowding the pan. Transfer the chicken to a platter lined with paper towels to drain. Pour off any remaining fat and rinse out and dry the pan.

3. Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil in the pan. Add the onion, garlic, bell peppers, and ham and cook over medium-high heat until the vegetables begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in the paprika, hot pepper flakes, and tomato and cook for 2 minutes.

4. Stir in the chicken and stock. Gently simmer the stew loosely covered, until the chicken is cooked, 20 to 30 minutes. Uncover the pan the last 10 minutes to concentrate the sauce. Skim off any fat that may rise to the surface with a spoon. Correct the seasoning, adding salt or paprika to taste. The sauce should be highly seasoned. Stir in half the parsley and remove the pan from the heat. Sprinkle the chicken with the remaining parsley and serve at once.

I like to serve Basque Chicken over rice, noodles, or spaetzle. When cutting up a whole chicken, I like to leave a 2-inch piece of breast meat attached to each wing. This makes the wing section a more generous portion. By using 1-1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts for this recipe, you can reduce the calories per serving to 243, the fat to 8 grams, and the saturated fat to 2 grams.