CHICKEN YASSA
This is my riff on yassa, a traditional Senegalese dish of chicken or other meat and onions marinated in a tart mixture of vinegar, citrus, chiles and spices. The flavors are entrancing, and it's a knockout for a dinner party. The chicken and most of the ingredients can marinate overnight, and the marinade becomes the sauce for the finished dish, so most of your prep is done ahead. Here I braise the chicken, making it a one-pot dish and an excellent choice if you want a spectacular dinner without a lot of hassle (or clean-up!).
Provided by JJ Johnson
Categories main-dish
Time 7h5m
Yield 4 to 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 16
Steps:
- Whisk together the vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, ginger, mustard, lemon zest, chile, black pepper, cayenne and salt to taste in a large nonreactive bowl or other container. Stir in the onions and bay leaf. Add the chicken to the marinade and toss to coat. Refrigerate, covered, turning the chicken in the marinade if it's not completely covered, at least 6 hours or overnight.
- Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium-high heat. Remove the chicken from the marinade; reserve the marinade. Working in batches to avoid overcrowding the pot, add the chicken to the pot and sear until golden brown on both sides, about 8 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.
- Add the allspice to the pot and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Spoon the solids from the marinade into the pot and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the reserved liquid and chicken, making sure to spoon the sauce over the chicken to coat. Add about 1 cup of water to the pot. Cover and cook over medium heat until the chicken is cooked through, about 30 minutes. Discard the bay leaf.
- Place the chicken on a serving platter. Spoon the onions and sauce from the pan over the chicken. (Simmer the sauce, uncovered, for 5 minutes on medium heat if there is too much liquid; it should be a rich sauce.) Season with salt and pepper and serve with the rice.
POULET YASSA (CHICKEN YASSA) FROM AFRICA
This traditional chicken dish from the Casamance region of Senegal is one of the most famous African recipes and is found in Senegalese restaurants the world over. For best results let the chicken marinate overnight; in Africa, this is essential to tenderize the sometimes tougher African fowl. It is also very good when made with fish. For the simplest yassa, make the marinade from just oil, lemon juice, onions, and a little mustard.
Provided by Ed Gibbon
Categories Chicken
Time 4h45m
Yield 4-6 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 15
Steps:
- Mix all ingredients (except the optional vegetables), the more onions the better, and allow chicken to marinate in a glass dish in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight.
- Remove chicken from the marinade, but save the marinade.
- Cook according to one of the following methods.
- Cooking method 1: Grill chicken over a charcoal fire (or bake it in a hot oven) until chicken is lightly browned but not done.
- Cooking method 2: Sauté chicken for a few minutes on each side in hot oil in a frypan.
- While chicken is browning: Remove onions from marinade and sauté them in a large saucepan for a few minutes.
- Add remaining marinade and the optional vegetables and bring to a slow boil, cooking the marinade into a sauce.
- Reduce heat.
- Add chicken to the sauce, cover and simmer until chicken is done.
- Serve with Rice, Couscous (couscous with chickpeas and raisins is very good), or Fufu.
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