Avec mes amies loving la region Basque!
Ep 2 Loulabelle's FrancoFiles podcast
Guest: Sarah Zwick
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In 2018 I visited the Basque region in south-western France on an immersion trip organised by my French language school in Melbourne “A French Journey” in Hampton. We did yoga in French in the mornings, followed by a French lesson in the “salon” and then sightseeing to the most amazing villages and towns in the afternoons. We even popped into Spain for lunch! Hear all about it in Ep 2 of the podcast where I chat to my lovely friend, ex-French teacher and travel guide Sarah Swick about her home in the beautiful Basque. Sarah shares a family recipe for Poulet Basquaise (below) as well as the many highlights to discover when visiting the Basque! Music is by Sarah’s old school friend, now muso Romain Dupré.
Merci to:
Sarah’s immersion business: Be My Guest Immersions
Romain Dupré: Cool Mode Hardcore
Poulet Basquaise
This is a recipe passed down in Sarah’s family over generations in the Basque region. So the name Poulet Basquaise means literally Basque Chicken and is made by cutting your chook into pieces and frying off to brown in some extra virgin olive oil or if you like authentic French like me, use butter… mmm. Then add in green capsicum, onions and tomatoes and cook slowly over a low heat so the mixture simmers quietly and releases the flavours. I love that term, simmers quietly. Very FRENCH! We would say put it on a low simmer, but they give their food more of a mood description when cooking, so we’ll simmer quietly! At some point near the end the piment d’espelette is added and it’s served with rice or more traditionally potatoes.
Method:
Cut the chicken into pieces.
Slice the capsicum into strips.
Dice the tomatoes and onions.
Put oil/butter in the pan and put in the chicken pieces. Salt and brown the pieces on all sides. When it is golden add the onion then the peppers.
Then add the tomatoes and cook, covered, for 20 minutes over low heat so that the mixture simmers quietly and releases all the flavors.
Salt and pepper again to suit the taste and cook for 35 min. Add a pinch of Espelette peppers.
Serve with rice or boiled potatoes.
Et en Français:
INGRÉDIENTS
1 poulet
2 gousses d’ail
2 oignons
500 g de piments verts
4 tomates moyennes
6 cuillères à soupe d’huile d’olive
sel, poivre
piment d’Espelette en poudre
PRÉPARATION
Découper le poulet en morceaux.
Couper ensuite les piments et les tailler en lanières.
Couper les tomates et les oignons.
Mettre de l’huile dans le fait tout et mettre les morceaux de poulet. Saler et faire dorer les morceaux sur toutes les faces. Quand il est doré ajouter l’oignon puis les piments.
Rajouter ensuite les tomates et faire cuire à couvert 20 min à feu doux afin que le mélange mijote tranquillement et libère toutes les saveurs.
Saler et poivrer de nouveau pour accommoder le goût à convenance et laissez cuire 35 min. Ajouter une pincée de piments d’Espelette.
Faire cuire le riz ou les pommes de terre.
