Gambian Chicken Yassa Recipes

SHELIA'S CHICKEN YASSA

Steps:

• Stir together lemon juice, oil, mustard, and garlic for marinade in a small bowl. Stir together black pepper, cayenne, lemon-pepper seasoning, and salt in another small bowl. Rub spice mixture all over chicken and transfer to a large zip-top plastic bag. Add lemon juice mixture. Seal the bag and turn to coat. Chill up to 8 hours or overnight.
• Prepare an outdoor grill for indirect grilling, lighting burners on one side only or pushing lit coals to one side. Heat grill to medium heat, 325 to 375 degrees F (165 to 190 degrees C). Lightly oil the grill grate.
• Transfer chicken to unlit side of grill, discarding marinade. Grill, turning once, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest parts registers 165 degrees F (74 degrees C), 40 to 50 minutes.
• Meanwhile, grill lemon halves, cut-sides down, over lit side of the grill until grill marks appear, about 8 minutes.
• Heat 1/4 cup oil in a 12-inch cast iron skillet on the stovetop over medium-high heat until hot. Stir in onions, bell peppers, carrot, garlic, and lemon juice; cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid evaporates and vegetables are tender and starting to brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Add chicken broth; cook and stir for 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in olives.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Arrange grilled chicken over vegetables in the skillet.
• Cover and bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Serve over cooked rice with grilled lemon halves.

CHICKEN YASSA

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.

CHICKEN YASSA

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the chicken legs with the scallions, thyme, vinegar, 1/4 cup lime juice and 1 tablespoon oil. Marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours.
• If using a grill or grill pan, heat it over high; if using a cast-iron skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high. (If cooking indoors, pat the chicken dry, discarding marinade, then brush the chicken lightly with oil.) Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper. Working in batches if necessary, grill or sear the chicken until browned on both sides, 6 or 7 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
• Meanwhile, in a large pot, heat the remaining 3 tablespoons oil over medium-high. When the oil is hot, add the onions in an even layer, season with salt and pepper, and let sear without stirring for 3 to 4 minutes. Using a wooden spoon, stir occasionally to prevent onions from burning at the bottom of the pot, and allow onions to cook until they start to caramelize and take on some color, 10 to 12 minutes.
• Add the bell pepper, chile, garlic, ginger, bay leaves and the mustard (if using), and continue stirring, adding 1 to 2 tablespoons of water as needed to avoid scorching at the bottom of the pot, another 5 minutes. Stir in another 1/4 cup lime juice, and season with 1 tablespoon salt and 2 teaspoons pepper.
• Add the grilled chicken into the pot, tucking it under the onions, then top with 1 cup water. Stir well, smooth mixture gently into an even layer, cover and simmer over medium until chicken is cooked through and tender, about 30 minutes.
• Season to taste and add more lime juice to taste, if desired. Serve chicken over rice, with onion mixture and sauce drizzled generously on top.