Basque Chicken

Cut the young chicken into four pieces, then halve each thigh and each wing once more.

Salt and pepper the chicken pieces and then lightly coat them in flour; knock off any excess flour.

Peel and seed the tomatoes, cut them into pieces, and let them release some juice onto kitchen paper.

Rub a garlic clove over the inside of a cast-iron or earthenware soup pot and heat 1–2 tbsp of clarified butter.

Brown the chicken pieces in batches in the clarified butter until they are colored all over.

Add the tomato pieces, halved green peppers, thinly sliced mushrooms, and diced cooked ham, and briefly sauté together.

Deglaze with a glass of white wine and mix everything well.

Let simmer gently with the lid off for about 25–30 minutes, until the chicken is cooked and the sauce has slightly thickened.

While the chicken is cooking, cook rice in lightly salted water and keep it warm.

Arrange the chicken pieces on a warmed platter, taste the sauce and, if necessary, reduce it a little further.

Pour the sauce over the chicken pieces and serve the rice separately.