If you have been in touch with the West African culture, you would know that the senegalese play an important role in our cuisine. The most popular rice recipe in West Africa originated in Senegal in the Wolof tribe. Yes I am talking about Jollof Rice. Sorry my beloved Nigerians, Jollof Rice is not our own. I digress. The first time I ever tried Yassa was the fish version. The sweet onions were music to my taste buds. The fact that it was caramelized was what attracted me to this dish. I absolutely love caramelized onions. I often use it as a side in my rice dishes so to have a whole dish dedicated to caramelized onions had my name written all over it. The sweet and spicy flavours are very complimentary in this dish. I have to say if you detest onions, this would not be the dish for you but how can you not love onions? lol. I am not here to judge. In my recipe, you would notice I pan-fried my chicken before grilling. This is voluntary. You can choose to cook your chicken anyway you like to make it healthier or achieve a particular texture. This was just my method for my poulet yassa. If you would like to listen to some music while you make this poulet yassa, check this song by popular Senegalese music artist Youssou N’dour. This song would be familiar for a lot of us. Enjoy this song and the recipe
Recipe for Poulet Yassa (Serves 3)
Ingredients
6 Pieces of Chicken
2 large Yellow Onions
Half of a Lemon (Juiced)
2 Scotch bonnet peppers (Chopped)
3 Garlic Cloves (Chopped)
Seasoning Cubes (Chicken seasoning)
1 Spring Onion (Green Onion)
2.5 tablespoons of Butter
2 tablespoons of Sugar
1 cooking spoon of Vegetable Oil
Salt to Taste
Method
Chop your onions in rings and set aside.
Season your chicken with the seasoning cubes, salt, lemon juice, pepper and garlic.
Allow to marinate ideally for about 3-4 hours but if you do not have time, you can still cook immediately.
In a pan with the vegetable oil heated, pan fry the chicken till it browns on both sides.
Pre-heat your oven to 410 F and place the chicken in the oven to bake for 30 minutes.
In a separate pot, heat up the butter on low heat and pour in the onions, salt, sugar, seasoning cubes and allow it to fry while stirring at 1 minute intervals. Once it begins to brown, it is beginning to caramelize. Add the chicken and juice if any, and continue to cook on low heat.
Add 1/4 cup of water if the sauce is too dry and allow to cook for 5-7 minutes. Add the chopped spring onions last.
Serve with white rice.
