How to Chop Sweet Potatoes for Basque Chicken
Basque is a region in the western Pyrenees mountains that spans between the border of France and Spain on the Atlantic coast. Basque chicken is one popular traditional dish from this region. Not surprisingly, this dish shares traits from both Spanish and French cuisine and is typically characterized by a flavorful tomato-based sauce with a strong smoked pepper or paprika element.
Because the Basque region of France and Spain is situated in the mountains and on the Atlantic coast, its traditional cuisine is influenced by the abundance of produce from the sea on one side and the fertile Ebro valley on the other. The mountainous nature of the Basque region has led to a mixture of coastal cuisine dominated by fish and seafood, and inland cuisine with fresh and cured meats, vegetables and legumes. As is to be expected, French and Spanish influence is also very strong in its cuisine.
Basque chicken is a traditional dish that features slowly roasted chicken pieces in a tomato sauce with vegetables, roasted peppers, paprika and olives. There are countless variants in a Basque chicken recipe and one option is to include sweet potato. To chop sweet potatoes for a Basque chicken:
Things You'll Need:
- Sweet potato(es)
- Kitchen knife
- Cutting board
- Vegetable peeler (optional)
- Slice off a small section of the sweet potato at both ends. This will result in a flat surface for the potato to rest on your cutting surface, as well as allowing for easier peeling.
- Peel the sweet potato. You may use a vegetable peeler. Or, if you prefer using a sharp knife, stand one flat end of the sweet potato on your cutting surface as a sturdy base and slowly run your knife from top to bottom, taking off a roughly one-inch wide strip of potato skin at a time. Continue this until all the skin is removed.
- Cut the peeled potato in half lengthwise.
- Cut each half, again lengthwise, into long half-inch thick piecees.
- Turn the long potato pieces 90 degrees so that they are now perpendicular to you. Slice these pieces half-inch wide. You will have small half-inch cubes of sweet potato that are uniform in size, ensuring that they will cook evenly.