Basque-Style Chicken simmered in an easy sauce with roasted chili peppers, ham, tomatoes, garlic, and olives. Makes a warming, hearty dinner on a chilly night.

Photography Credit: Sheryl Julian

I thought it would be easy to duplicate the Basque chicken I had several times on the French side of the Basque region (the area straddles the border between France and Spain). But the versions I tried were all so different!

While they always include hot or mild peppers, tomatoes, and something meaty like ham or sausage, it was hard to pin down the mildly spicy sauce I prefer.

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I ultimately decided I liked the mellow heat from roasted chiles along with a little ham simmered in a tomato-garlic sauce with chicken thighs.

I like Anaheim, poblanos, or Fresno peppers for this recipe – fairly mild, as far as peppers go. Broil the peppers until they’re charred all over, or char them over a flame as Elise is demonstrating in this video.

Any ham will do, as long as it isn’t honey-basted. I usually buy Black Forest. Cut it into matchsticks before adding it to the sauce.

When it’s time to serve this Basque favorite, sprinkle the dish with chopped green olives and parsley. It’s wonderful today, better tomorrow, and even more beautifully mellow the day after that.