Poulet Yassa Chicken Yassa From Africa Recipes

POULET YASSA (CHICKEN YASSA)

Steps:

• Rinse chicken thoroughly and pat dry. Place in a bowl. Add the lemon juice, onions, garlic, salt, black or white pepper, chicken bouillon powder (if using), red pepper flakes or poked habanero pepper (if using). Mix everything together to combine. Cover the chicken with plastic wrap and place in the fridge to marinate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
• Remove the chicken from the marinade and shake off the excess marinade. Place on a grill and oiled grill pan or just an oiled skillet and cook on each side for about 4 minutes until it assumes a nice sear.
• Caramelize the onions. Heat oil in a pan. Remove onions from the marinade and add to the oil and let it cook slowly on medium heat while stirring from time to time until the onions shrink and become slightly darker in color. About 20 minutes.
• Add the chicken to the onions and the remaining marinade, the bay leaves and a cup of water to the caramelized onions then cook for about 20 minutes, flipping the chicken halfway through. Taste to ensure seasoning is perfect. Serve over white rice.

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.

POULET YASSA (CHICKEN YASSA) FROM AFRICA

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.