African-Style Braised Chicken Bowl
The inspiration for this dish comes from Senegal in western Africa. Poulet yassa is a braised chicken dish that is citrusy and rich, and very much loved in that part of the world. It gets its unique flavor from lemon and onions, enhanced by ingredients like Dijon mustard, which underscores this country’s history as a former French colony.
It’s often made with whole chickens, cut to include the bone, and marinated for as long as a night. When we envisioned this as a bowl we opted to make it with boneless chicken breasts, which makes it easier to eat in a take-out container, cuts down on the length of the marination and also decreases the cooking time. We opted to serve it over fonio, an African grain that resembles tiny couscous, but you can put it over rice, actual couscous, potatoes, or mashed plantains. These bowls are easily customizable; we served it with spinach and fried onions, but you can pair this with okra, butternut squash, snap peas, or any of a wide selection of grains and vegetables to meet your particular tastes.
For the marinade:
Juice of 2 large lemons
Juice of 1 lime
1/2 of a small yellow onion, diced or grated
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon Honey Peri Peri seasoning
2 pounds boneless chicken breast, can be skinless or skin-on, cut into 6 cutlets
To cook the chicken post-marinade
1 Tablespoon olive oil
3 medium onions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
3 medium cloves garlic, minced
1-2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard, to taste
3 cups chicken stock
1 Tablespoon Honey Peri Peri seasoning
1 teaspoon Bourbon Barrel Smoked Pepper
3 Whole Bay Leaves
Kosher Salt, to taste
Fresh lemon wedges
Fonio, rice, couscous, or other starch, cooked and ready to use
Spinach, fried onions, peanuts, olives, or other vegetables to create your bowl
1. First, make the marinade. Combine all ingredients in a large, non-reactive bowl or bag. Place the chicken in the marinade, making sure chicken is fully covered. Cover bowl or seal bag and marinate for at least 2 hours and no longer than 8 hours.
2. When you are ready to cook the chicken, put oil in a Dutch oven or large pot and heat over medium-high heat. Remove chicken from marinade and scrape off onions clinging to the chicken breasts. Discard marinade.
3. Lay chicken carefully in the hot oil and cook for 5-6 minutes, until chicken takes on some brown. Flip once and cook for 5 more minutes and remove from heat to a nearby platter or bowl. Do not crowd the pan; cook chicken in batches if necessary.
4. Once the chicken is pre-cooked, deglaze the Dutch oven with apple cider vinegar, stirring to get up any browned bits in the bottom of the pot. Once the vinegar has cooked down, add onions and cook, stirring frequently, until they are soft and have turned brown, about 15 minutes. Add more oil if necessary, or add some water if the onions start to stick to the bottom of the pot.
5. When onions are ready, add garlic and mustard and cook for one minute to soften. Then add Bourbon Barrel Smoked Pepper and 1 Tablespoon of Honey Peri Peri and cook for one minute more.
6. Pour in chicken stock and add Whole Bay Leaves. Nestle chicken pieces into the bed of onions and pour in any juices in the bottom of the platter or bowl. Turn heat to high and bring to a boil.
7. Reduce heat to medium and cook until chicken is tender and ready to fall apart and broth is reduced by about 1/4. Taste and add Kosher Salt, if desired.
8. Place fonio or rice in a mound in the center of a bowl. Spoon in chicken and broth, then add spinach and olives, or your preferred choice of accompanying vegetables. Top with crispy onions and garnish with crushed peanuts. Makes 6 servings.
