POULET YASSA -CHICKEN RECIPE FROM SENEGAL. WEST AFRICAN COOKING. (2024)

WEST AFRICAN COOKING AND TRADITIONS

POULET YASSA -CHICKEN RECIPE FROM SENEGAL

African cuisine is a term collectively referring tothe cuisines of Africa, second largest landmasson Earth. It is home to hundreds of different cultural and ethnic groups- hencea diversified culinary tradition in terms of choice of ingredients, style ofpreparation and cooking techniques.
The continent's manypopulations: Central Africa, East, North and South and the Horn of Africa eachhave their own distinctive dishes, eating and drinking habits.

THIS POST IS PART IV OF AFOUR PART SERIES- WEST AFRICAN COOKING

Part 2-link here North Africa

West African cooking-Senegal, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Benin, Gambia

-A typical West African meal is heavy with starchy items,meat, spices and flavors. A wide array of staples are eaten across the region,including those of Fufu, Foutou, Banku,Kenkey, Couscous,Tô, and Garri which are served alongside soups and stews.
Ingredients like native rice (oryza glaberrima) rice, fonio,millet, sorghum, bambara and housa groundnuts, black-eyed beans, brown beans,and root vegetables such as yams, sweet potatoes, and cassava are popular.

Many of the dishes are enriched by tomatoes, onionsand chili peppers, these areconsidered essential and "sacred" to the cooking techniques of theregion

Flaked and dried fish is often fried in oil, and sometimescooked in sauce made up with hot peppers, onions, tomatoes and various spices (such as Soumbala). Water is added to make this into a highly flavored stew.

Beefand especially mutton are preferred. Seafood, eggs and chicken are alsoconsumed.

Water has a very strong ritual significance in many WestAfrican nations (particularly in dry areas) and water is often the first thingan African host will offer his/her guest. Palm wine, a common beverage from thefermented sap of various types of palm trees usually in sweet or sour varieties

Fufu is often made from starchy root

vegetables such as yams,cocoyams or

cassava, also from cereal grains like

millet, sorghum or plantains.

Klouikloui, rings of friedpeanut butter served inBenin.

Eat guinea fowl eggs


Rice-dishes are also widely eaten in

the region, especiallyin the dry Sahel

belt inland.

Examples of these include Benachin from the Gambia and

Jollofrice ( see pic), a pan-West African rice dish, origin of Ghana.

Beef Suya, a trending grilled spicy meat kebab flavored with peanuts andother spices, is sold by street vendors as a tasty snack or evening meal and istypically made with beef or chicken.

The staple grain or starchvaries
between region and ethnic groups.
Corn is trendy. Banku and Kenkey are
maize dough staples (left), and Gari ismadefrom dried grated cassavas.

West African Maafe orgroundnut stew,

prepared by a Senegalese cook

SENEGALESE FOOD

The food of Senegal are very much influenced by themany ethnic groups, the French, Portuguese and those of North Africa. As itborders the Atlantic Ocean, fish becomes a staple, with peanuts as the primarycrop. Fresh juices are made- frobissap,ginger.

Buy(pronounced buoy) which is the fruitof the baobab treetree alsoknown as "monkey bread fruit", mango, or other fruit or wild trees.Desserts are very sweet and rich- the extravaganza of the stylishcharacteristics of French culinary.Drinks include coffee and tea.

RECIPE

POULETYASSA

A traditional dish ofSenegal,Poulet Yassa(Chicken Yassa), is one of the mostfamousSenegalese recipes. Thechicken is marinated overnight. Another variety is Fish Yassa (poisson yassa).For the simplest yassa, just marinade with oil, lemon juice, onions anda little mustard.

What youneed

1½ cup peanut oil (or any cooking oil)

One chicken, cut into serving-sized pieces

4- 6 onions, cut up

8 tbsp lemon juice

8 tbsp vinegar (cider vinegar is good)

1 bay leaf

4 cloves minced garlic

2 tbsp Dijon mustard (optional)

1-2 cubes Arome Maggi® sauce (or Maggi® cubes mix with water), orsoy sauce (optional)

chili pepper, cleaned and finely chopped (optional)

cayenne pepper or red pepper, black pepper, salt (to taste)

a small cabbage, cut into chunks (optional)

a few carrots, cut into chunks (optional)

What youdo

Mix all ingredients (except the optional vegetables), the moreonions the better, and allow chicken to marinate in a glass dish in therefrigerator for a few hours or overnight. Remove chicken from the marinade,but save the marinade (ingredients). Cook according to one of the following methods.

Cooking method 1:Grillchicken over a charcoal fire (or bake it in a hot oven) until chicken islightly browned but not done.

OR

Cooking method 2:Sautéchicken 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 and cook at a boil for ten minutes. Cook the marinade into a sauce. Reduce heat.

Sources link here..and here and wiki and other sources.

OSU Castle- government house Ghana

Diamond mining Sierra Leone

Ghana Silk and cotton woven materials

Fishing boat - The Gambia

Market place- Ivory Coast

Some images of West Africa