Border-straddling Basque Chicken and Chorizo melds two countries’ kitchens

Borrowing influences from Spain and France, chicken, chorizo, bell peppers, tomatoes, aromatics and spices create a robust, one-pot meal. Recipe below.

TO SAY THAT BASQUE COUNTRY STRADDLES THE BORDER BETWEEN SPAIN AND FRANCE isn’t entirely accurate. The Basque people inhabited the region before those nations existed. In fact, according to the American Journal of Human Genetics, the Basque predate the arrival of agriculture in the area some 7,000 years ago. Still, Spain and France did come to exist and, along with them, their regional cuisines. This robust dish of chicken, chorizo, peppers, onion and spices borrows from both.

The chorizo in question is Spanish chorizo—small, dense, hard sausages made from coarsely chopped fatty pork and seasoned with mild Spanish paprika, salt and garlic. Spicier versions also include small dried hot chiles. This is completely different from ground pork Mexican chorizo; the two are not interchangeable.

Now ubiquitous bell peppers are also a Spanish-inflected ingredient. Native to Mexico and Central and South America, they were brought to Spain in 1493. From there, they made their way throughout Europe and to Asia.

The French contribution to this recipe particularly intrigued me: piment d’Espelette, or Espelette pepper. This new-to-me pepper is grown in a handful of townships or communes in southwestern France, the northern territory of the Basque. It has become a staple of their traditional cuisine. The flavor profile of piment d’Espilette is essentially sweet, slightly smoky paprika with some heat.

Someday, I will track this spice down, out of sheer Francophile curiosity. For now, I settled on a substitute, starting with sweet paprika, then heating it up with a little cayenne pepper.

Basque Chicken and Chorizo
Serves 4 to 6

2 teaspoons sweet paprika (do not use smoked)
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 whole chicken legs, cut into thighs and drumsticks
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 ounces Spanish chorizo, sliced into thin coins
1 red bell pepper, 1 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced (or 2 red)
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
3 large cloves garlic, chopped
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried)
3/4 cup dry sherry (or white wine)
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

A crusty bread or cooked rice

Mix paprika and cayenne pepper in a small bowl. Season chicken pieces on both sides with salt, pepper and 1 teaspoon of the paprika mixture. Set aside.

Heat oil in a large, lidded sauté pan or skillet over medium-high flame. Add chorizo and sauté, stirring occasionally, for about 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl with a slotted spoon.

Add chicken to pan skin side down and sauté until nicely browned, about 5 minutes for the first side, 3 minutes for the second. Transfer to a plate.

Add bell peppers, onion and garlic to pan, tossing to coat with oil. Stir in remaining paprika mix. Cook, stirring occasionally, until peppers start to soften, 5 to 7 minutes. If onion starts to brown, reduce heat—you just want to sweat everything. Add thyme to skillet and stir to combine. Add sherry, scraping up any browned bits. Stir in tomatoes with their juices.

Stir in chorizo. Nestle chicken pieces into the pan and add any accumulated juices. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cover pan and cook until chicken is  just cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes. Keep an eye on the liquids—if they seem to cook down too much, add a little water, a couple of tablespoons at a time (I didn’t need to do this).

Taste and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper, as needed. Remove from heat. Sprinkle chopped parsley over the chicken and serve, with a crusty bread or with rice.