Chicken Yassa

Served family style: Chicken Yassa on a bed of coconut rice and oven roasted sweet plantains

I wanted to make a special Sunday dinner, and I hadn't had chicken in a while, so I decided to try cooking Chicken Yassa.

Chicken Yassa (Yassa au Poulet) is a delicious Senegalese dish consisting of chicken smothered in a spicy onion-lemon sauce. It's actually the most well-known west african dish, worldwide!

Some recipes include things like olives, cabbage, carrots etc. , I decided to leave them out, but definitely include them if you like. Also, you may notice soy sauce in the ingredients below...that's because I came across a few recipes that called for Maggi sauce, which I didn't have, so soy sauce was suggested as a suitable replacement for depth of flavor.



Coconut-based rice dishes are popular throughout western Africa, although I'm not sure how authentic it is to pair coconut rice with the Yassa. I just thought the slight creaminess of the rice would compliment the tang of the chicken :o)

Feel free to use whatever chili pepper you're comfortable with, but I have to say, the habanero really adds a special fruity flavor to the marinade. Since the pepper's ribs and seeds are removed in this recipe, the final dish will still be spicy, but not nearly as hot as usual, lol.

Overall, I think this meal went well. Everyone enjoyed it and I'd definitely make it again!

I think it's a great choice for entertaining and it's fun to serve family style...

Chicken Yassa

w/ coconut rice

serves 6

Marinade:

2 bay leaves

fresh thyme sprigs or 2 teaspoons dried

1-2 tablespoons brown or dijon mustard

1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger

1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

½ tsp salt

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

½ cup fresh lemon juice

½ cup cider vinegar

6 cloves garlic, crushed

1 habanero /scotch bonnet pepper, deseeded and ribbed, chopped

1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce

1 3lb chicken, cut up, or the equivalent in bone-in pieces
(coarse salt and lemon for cleaning)
5 large white or yellow onions, sliced

½ cup chicken stock
Zest of one lemon

salt & pepper to taste

Chopped parsley for garnish

Combine all of the marinade ingredients together and set aside.

Note: Be very careful when cutting up the habanero . The oils stay on you're hands, so you'll be kicking yourself if you touch your eyes later on in the day...so it's best to use gloves if you're not used to handling hot peppers :o)

Preparing the Chicken:
Rinse the chicken pieces and pat dry. Cut off any extra skin and fat. Rub the chicken with half of a lemon and it's juice, then rub down with coarse salt.

Combine the cleaned chicken pieces (either in a large ziploc or non-reactive bowl) with the marinade, then the onions. Make sure everything is well coated.

Set in the fridge to marinate for at least 4 hours (overnight is best), turning occasionally.


Once the meat is properly seasoned, remove it and the onions from the liquid separately. Reserve the marinade.

Add a bit of oil to a large skillet and brown the chicken pieces in batches over medium-high heat, then set aside.The natural sugars in the marinade will cause alot of browning in the pan, but that's a good thing :o)

You can use the moisture from the onions to deglaze.

Add the drained onions to the pan and cook them until wilted and caramelized. Then, pour in the reserved marinade plus the 1/2 cup of chicken stock and bring to a boil.

Nestle the browned chicken pieces into the liquid, covering them with the onions, then cover the pot. Reduce the heat to a simmer and let cook for an hour, or until the chicken is fork tender and its juices run clear.

During the last 5 minutes of cooking, remove the lid, and turn the heat up so the sauce can boil down a bit. Taste for salt at this point too, and adjust if needed.

Remove the bay leaves and thyme stems.

Lastly, take the Chicken Yassa off of the heat and stir in the lemon zest.

Done!

Coconut Rice
serves 4 -6

1 tablespoon oil
~1/4 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups long grain rice, rinsed
2 cups water
1 14 oz can coconut milk + 2 tablespoons water


Heat the oil in a small saucepan and cook the onions until soft and fragrant. Pour in the water, rice, and salt, and bring to a boil. Stir the rice occasionally to prevent burning, then once the water is just above the level of the rice, stir in the coconut milk.



Once again, continue to stir occasionally until the liquid boils down almost to rice level.
Cover the pot and turn the heat to the lowest setting and cook for 20 minutes.
After that, remove the pot from the heat completely and let the rice steam for an additional 10-15 minutes.

Fluff the rice before serving.

* * *
To compliment the meal, I also served:

Oven Roasted Sweet Plantain:

The next time I make oven roasted plantain slices, I'll be sure to use plantains that are little more ripe. This batch didn't come out as soft as I would have liked.


Fresh Watercress:


And Orange-Hibiscus Punch



Enjoy! :o)