Basque Chicken

Total Time: 1 hr 5 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 3 1/2-4 lbs chicken parts
• 5 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 lbs red bell peppers, and or 2 lbs yellow bell peppers (cut into 1/2 inch strips)
• 4 small fresh jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
• 4 slices ham, cut into 1/2 in squares (2oz slices)
• 1/4 cup chopped garlic (about 12 cloves)
• salt
• ground black pepper
• 2 -3 cups chopped onions
• 2 lbs fresh tomatoes, peeled seeded and chopped or 1 (38 ounce) can whole tomatoes, with juice,seeded and crushed
• 4 -6 cups cooked rice

Recipe

• 1 rinse and pat dry the chicken parts.
• 2 heat in a wide, heavy dutch oven over med high heat until fragrant: 3 tbsp olive oil lightly brown chicken.
• 3 remove browned chicken to a plate.
• 4 remove all but 3 tbsp of fat in pan.
• 5 return chicken to pan.
• 6 add to pan the bell peppers, jalapenos, ham, garlic, salt (and ground black pepper).
• 7 place pan over low to med heat, cover tightly and cook at a quiet sizzle stirring often until the chiken is cooked through and the peppers are soft (about 45 min).
• 8 meanwhile, prepare the sauce.
• 9 heat in a large saucepan over me hi heat until fragrant: 2tbsp olive oil add to saucepan: the onions (cook, stirring often until tender but not browned) then add: tomatoes, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp ground black pepper.
• 10 bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to med.
• 11 simmer, stirring often, until the sauce has thickened, about 20 min.
• 12 serve chicken on top of cooked rice; spoon sauce on top.