Today we’re heading to France, where every dish is a story, a tradition, and impeccable taste. Two iconic recipes from different regions will reveal the soul of French cuisine in your own kitchen.
Juicy pieces of chicken braised in a bright, thick sauce of sweet peppers, tomatoes, onions, and garlic, fragrant with Provençal herbs and smoked paprika. This dish comes from the Basque Country—at the crossroads of France and Spain—with its rich, slightly sweet flavour and luxurious red-orange sauce.
Ingredients (serves 4):
• Chicken (whole, cut into 8 pieces) — 1.5 kg
• Red bell peppers — 2
• Yellow bell pepper — 1
• Green bell pepper — 1
• Onions — 2 large
• Garlic — 5 cloves
• Canned tomatoes (whole, in their own juice) — 400 g
• Tomato paste — 1 tbsp.
• Dry white wine — 150 ml
• Bayonne ham or prosciutto — 80 g
• Olive oil — 3 tbsp.
• Smoked paprika (piment d'Espelette or sweet paprika) — 1 tsp.
• Fresh thyme — 4 sprigs
• Bay leaves — 2
• Pitted black olives — 60 g
• Salt — to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper — to taste
• Fresh parsley — for serving
Method:
Step 1. Prepare the chicken.
Pat every piece of chicken dry with paper towels—this is crucial for getting a golden crust. Rub generously with salt, freshly ground black pepper, and half the smoked paprika. Leave at room temperature for 15 minutes so the meat warms through evenly.
Step 2. Brown the chicken.
In a heavy Dutch oven or deep sauté pan with a thick bottom, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat until it just begins to shimmer. Lay the chicken pieces skin-side down without crowding them—work in 2 batches if your pan is not large enough. Fry for 4–5 minutes on each side without moving them, until the skin is deeply golden and crisp. The sign it’s ready: the chicken releases easily from the bottom, with an even amber crust. Transfer to a plate.
Step 3. Prepare the vegetables.
While the chicken is browning, cut the bell peppers into strips 1.5 cm wide and 5–6 cm long, removing the seeds and membranes. Slice the onions into half-rings 3–4 mm thick. Finely chop the garlic with a knife. Cut the ham into batons measuring 1×3 cm.
Step 4. Cook the vegetable base.
In the same Dutch oven, fry the ham batons over medium heat for 2 minutes, until lightly browned. Add the onions and cook, stirring, for 5–6 minutes until soft and translucent. Add the peppers and garlic; cook for another 7–8 minutes, until the peppers are tender but still retain a slight bite. The sign it’s ready: the onions are completely translucent, and the peppers have softened slightly and released their juices.
Step 5. Build the sauce.
Pour in the white wine and let it simmer for 2–3 minutes, scraping up all the caramelised bits from the bottom with a spatula—this is the foundation of the flavour. Add the canned tomatoes, crushing them with your hands or a spatula directly in the Dutch oven. Stir in the tomato paste, remaining paprika, thyme, and bay leaves. Mix until smooth. Bring to a boil.
Step 6. Braise.
Return the chicken pieces to the Dutch oven, nestling them into the sauce. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and braise for 35–40 minutes. After 25 minutes, add the olives. The sign it’s ready: the meat comes easily off the bone when pressed with a fork, the sauce has thickened and turned a rich dark red, and fat has risen to the surface in amber droplets.
Step 7. Serve.
Remove the bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Taste the sauce and adjust the salt. Divide the chicken among warm plates and spoon over plenty of the vegetable sauce. Sprinkle with coarsely chopped fresh parsley. Serve with fluffy rice or fresh bread for mopping up the sauce.
💡 Fact: Poulet Basquaise is a point of pride for the French Basques, and its defining spice is Piment d'Espelette, dried right on the façades of houses in the village of the same name. This pepper has held AOC (controlled designation of origin) status since 2000—the same distinction granted to great French wines and cheeses.
A luxurious, melt-in-your-mouth bake of paper-thin potato slices, bathed in garlic cream and baked until crowned with a golden, crisp crust. Inside: the most tender, almost creamy layers of potato, steeped in the aroma of nutmeg. A classic of the Dauphiné region, where simplicity is taken to its absolute peak.
Ingredients (serves 4–6):
• Potatoes (a waxy variety, such as Charlotte or Yukon Gold) — 1 kg
• Heavy cream (33–35%) — 400 ml
• Whole milk — 200 ml
• Garlic — 3 large cloves
• Nutmeg (whole, for grating) — 1/3 nut
• Butter — 30 g
• Coarse salt — 1.5 tsp.
• Ground white pepper — 1/2 tsp.
Method:
Step 1. Prepare the dish and oven.
Preheat the oven to 160°C (fan) or 170°C (top-and-bottom heat). Cut 1 garlic clove in half and thoroughly rub the cut side all over the inside of a ceramic or cast-iron baking dish measuring roughly 25×18 cm. Then generously butter the dish, coating the bottom and sides in an even layer. This will create a fragrant, non-stick base.
Step 2. Prepare the cream mixture.
Crush the remaining 2 garlic cloves with the flat of a knife, then finely chop them. In a saucepan, combine the cream, milk, garlic, salt, and white pepper. Grate the nutmeg on a fine grater directly into the saucepan—you need roughly 1/2 teaspoon. Set over medium heat and bring just to the first signs of simmering—tiny bubbles around the edges. Do not boil! Remove from the heat and leave to infuse for 10 minutes. The sign it’s ready: the mixture is fragrant and warm, and the garlic has released its aroma.
Step 3. Slice the potatoes.
Peel the potatoes. Slice them to a strict thickness of 2–3 mm—this is the key moment. A mandoline slicer is ideal. If you’re using a knife, aim for the greatest possible consistency. IMPORTANT: Do NOT rinse the sliced potatoes! The starch on their surface is a natural thickener that will make the gratin creamy and cohesive.
Step 4. Assemble the gratin.
Lay the first layer of potatoes in the bottom of the dish, overlapping the slices like roof tiles in neat rows. Season lightly with salt. Pour over a little of the cream mixture—just enough to barely cover the potatoes. Repeat the layers: overlapping potatoes, a pinch of salt, cream mixture. You should have 4–5 layers. Pour the remaining cream mixture over the final layer—it should be visible between the slices, but should not completely cover the top layer. Distribute the pieces of garlic from the mixture evenly between the layers.
Step 5. First stage of baking (covered).
Cover the dish with foil, crimping the edges tightly. Place it on the middle rack of the preheated oven. Bake for 50–60 minutes. The sign this stage is done: pierce the gratin in the centre with a thin knife—it should slide into the potatoes with minimal resistance; the slices should be soft but still hold their shape.
Step 6. Second stage of baking (golden crust).
Remove the foil. Increase the temperature to 190°C. Dot the surface of the gratin with the remaining butter, cut into small cubes. Bake uncovered for another 20–25 minutes. The sign it’s ready: the surface is covered with an even golden-brown crust, the cream sauce is bubbling vigorously around the edges of the dish, and when you gently shake the dish, the gratin quivers slightly but does not “flow.”
Step 7. Rest and serve.
Take the gratin from the oven and let it rest for 10–15 minutes at room temperature. This is crucial: during this time, the cream sauce will thicken, and the portions will hold their shape when cut. Slice into portions with a spatula. The perfect gratin has a crisp golden crust on top and a creamy, almost velvety texture within, where the individual potato slices are barely distinguishable. Serve as a main dish or as a side for meat.
💡 Fact: An authentic Gratin Dauphinois from the Dauphiné region (now the department of Isère) NEVER contains cheese—this is a common misconception. The first written mention of the recipe dates to 1788—the dish was served at a dinner for officials of the city of Gap. Adding cheese turns it into another dish—“Gratin Savoyard,” made with stock in the neighbouring region of Savoy.