This delicious, beautiful dish is another that I learned to make at school in one of my culinary classes. This Piperade sauce is from the Basque region of France. It is a saute of tomatoes, sweet bell peppers, onions and garlic in olive oil along with some paprika. It was a little like a sweeter and richer salsa. I simply made the sauce, then browned some chicken breasts and thighs and let them finish cooking in the sauce. At school I used skin on chicken thighs, but when I made it at home, I used boneless, skinless chicken. This was absolutely wonderful and I am so excited to share it with you!
Here's what you need: ( to serve 4)
4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts and/or thighs
(Be sure the breasts are pounded out thin)
Salt and pepper to taste
2 T olive oil
2 T brown sugar
1/4 cup cooking sherry
2 t spanish paprika
chopped flat=leaf parsley for garnish
For the Piperade sauce **( Make this first)
1/3 cup olive oil
1 onion julliene
1 red bell pepper sliced thin
1 yellow bell pepper sliced thin
6 cloves garlic smashed
4 small tomatoes chopped
salt to taste
1 t spanish paprika (or to your taste)
First make the sauce.... Preheat a large saute pan over medium high heat. Add the olive oil and let it warm up. Add the onion, peppers, tomatoes, and garlic and cook for about ten minutes, stirring occasionally. Cook until the vegetables are soft. Remove from heat and let cool. Season to taste with salt and paprika. You may leave the sauce as it is or pulse a few times in the food processor. Set this aside.
Now on to the chicken! Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat a saute pan over medium high heat and add the oil. Let the oil heat up and add the chicken. Cook for about 3-4 minutes on one side without turning, or until it is golden. With tongs, turn and cook about 3 minutes more and transfer the chicken to a plate. Discard the oil in the pan.
Return the pan to medium high heat. Add the brown sugar and let it melt. Whisk in the sherry. Whisk this together for about a minute, allowing it to reduce. Stir in your piperade sauce and the paprika. Return the chicken to the pan, cover and let the chicken cook on low, in the sauce for about 10 minutes, or until it is cooked through.
To serve, put some of the sauce on plates, set the chicken on the sauce and drizzle more on top. Sprinkle with the parsley. YUM!!
