Basque chicken in red wine with bacon

While Dave was out running around the lake today, an older man told him he better watch out or he’d live to be 115. Here’s a dish designed to counteract that. And as Dave says, “You had me at bacon.”

Basque Chicken in Red Wine

Adapted from “Seduced by Bacon” by Joanna Pruess, a book dedicated to recipes in all genres involving bacon-y goodness.

Ingredients:

6 boneless chicken thighs

½ pound bacon, cut into ½ inch pieces

2 large onions, chopped

1 large red pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 large green pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces

6 large sage leaves, thinly sliced

2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves

1 ¼ cup dry red wine

¾ cup chopped Kalamata olives

½ cup sour cream, optional

Method:

Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper; brown on both sides in olive oil in a large skillet. Remove from pan and set aside.

Add bacon to pan. Cook until beginning to brown. Add onions and peppers. Saute until onions wilt and begin to pick up color. Add herbs and red wine. Raise the heat to high to reduce slightly. Add chicken back to pot along with olives. Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes until done, removing lid to reduce sauce for final 5 minutes if needed. Stir in sour cream.

Rating: This isn’t the lookiest dish on the planet, but it’s plenty tasty. A side of polenta helps slurp up the sauce. I went ahead and added the optional sour cream, but I think it would have worked just as well either way.