SENEGALESE CHICKEN WITH BLACK-EYED PEAS AND AVOCADO-ZUCCHINI RELISH

Senegalese Chicken with Black-Eyed Peas and Avocado-Zucchini Relish image

Provided by Cree LaFavour

Categories Chicken Poultry Vegetable Marinate Sauté Dinner Avocado Legume Squash Zucchini Chill Advance Prep Required Dairy Free Wheat/Gluten-Free Tree Nut Free Soy Free No Sugar Added Kosher

Yield Serves 4

Number Of Ingredients 29

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Ingredients

Senegalese Chicken
8 to 10 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
3 yellow onions, thinly sliced
4 tbsp peanut oil
1/2 cup/120 ml fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp kosher salt
black pepper
1 habanero or serrano chile, chopped
1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds (optional)
1/2 cup/120 ml chicken stock
Black-Eyed Peas
Refreshing. Beautiful. Delicious. Not some mushy side dish you would just as soon forget, these beans will brighten your plate.
2 cups/400 g dried black-eyed peas
1 tbsp peanut oil
1 to 2 serrano chiles, chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
8 green onions, white and light tender parts only, chopped
2 tbsp cider vinegar
Avocado-Zucchini Relish
Somewhere between a salad, a relish, and a salsa, this summery mixture goes beautifully with chicken. The zucchini begin to yield their moisture as soon as the salt hits them, which is why it's best to wait until just before serving to add them to the mix.
2 ripe avocados, pitted, peeled, and cubed
1 arbol chile, minced
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp celery seeds
6 green onions, white and tender green parts only, thinly sliced
1 cup/100 g chopped radishes
1 tbsp olive oil
2 zucchini, grated (about 2 1/2 cups/350 g)
flaky salt for finishing

Steps:

Senegalese Chicken
Combine the onions, 2 tbsp of the peanut oil, the lemon juice, salt, pepper to taste, and chile in a glass baking dish. Add the chicken and turn to coat. Marinate at room temperature for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour, or cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours. (If refrigerating, return the chicken to room temperature for 30 minutes or so to take the chill off before cooking.)
Remove the chicken from the marinade and pat dry with paper towels. Reserve the marinade.
Heat 1 tbsp of the peanut oil in a 12-in/30-cm or larger cast-iron frying pan or a 5-qt/5-l or larger Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Working in batches, lay the thighs in the pan, skin-side down, and cook, turning frequently, for 10 minutes or until nicely browned on both sides. Transfer the chicken to a plate, pour off any excess fat, and wipe away any burned bits in the pan.
Add the remaining 1 tbsp peanut oil to the pan, and reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the onions from the marinade (discard the liquid) and the fenugreek seeds (if using) and sauté for 10 minutes. Return the chicken to the pan, skin-side up, along with the stock. Raise the heat to medium, cover, and cook for 30 minutes. Insert either an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of a thigh or cut into a thigh with a paring knife. The thermometer should register 175°F/80°C. If using a knife, look for clear, not red or pink, juices running from the spot where you pierced the meat and opaque, barely pink flesh at the bone.
Serve by piling the onions on individual plates and putting the chicken on top.
Black-Eyed Peas
Rinse the peas in a colander, keeping an eye out for stray rocks. Bring a large saucepan three-fourths full of water to a boil over high heat. Add the peas and cook until just tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Drain well and set aside.
In the same pan you cooked the peas in, heat the peanut oil and add the chiles, bell pepper, and green onions. Cook for 30 seconds over high heat, add the vinegar, and cook for 30 seconds longer before returning the peas to the pan. Reheat briefly before serving or eat them at room temperature. They're terrific either way.
Avocado-Zucchini Relish
Combine the avocado, chile, kosher salt, celery seeds, green onions, radishes, and olive oil in a bowl. Toss to mix well. Add the zucchini, toss again, and top with a pinch of flaky salt just before serving.