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. 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. Transfer to a bowl, cover with a plate to help steam and soften the skins, and set aside for 5 minutes. In a large deep skillet or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add half of thighs, skin side down. Cook for 4 minutes, or until golden on the undersides. Turn and brown the other sides for 3 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a bowl. Brown the remaining thighs in the same way. Transfer the thighs to the bowl. Add the tomatoes and stock. Use a wooden spatula to scrape up the dark glaze from the bottom of the pan. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and partially cover. Simmer 5 minutes. Simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through, opaque, and registers 165°F with a digital thermometer.
