Tag Archives: african

Chicken Yassa

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Marinade:

  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon minced Thai red chili peppers, seeded if preferred
  • 3 pounds (1.5 kilograms) chicken legs with thighs, split
  • salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 1 thinly sliced red onion

Sauce:

  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 6 cups sliced red onions (about 3)
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
  • 1 teaspoon minced Thai red chilli peppers, seeded if preferred
  • 11/2 cups chicken stock or water
  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 11/2 cups diced sweet potatoes, cut in 1/2-inch pieces
  • 1/2 cup pimento-stuffed olives cut into thirds

Combine lemon juice, lemon rind, vegetable oil and minced chili in a medium bowl.

Add chicken pieces and cover with onions. Cover bowl and leave to marinate, refrigerated for 2 hours or overnight.

Remove chicken from marinade and pat dry. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Discard marinade and onions.

Add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil to a skillet on medium high. Add onions, season with salt to bring out juices and stir occasionally for 7 to 10 minutes or until onions are soft and browned. Add lemon juice, lemon rind, chili, stock and Dijon mustard. Stir until combined.

Stir in sweet potatoes and olives. Bring to a boil, boil 1 minute and then reduce heat to medium low. Simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. Remove cover and continue cooking until vegetables are tender, 5 to 10 minutes. Reserve.

Brush chicken with remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Preheat grill to medium. Grill chicken 8 to 10 minutes per side or until golden and juices run clear.

Serve chicken coated with vegetables and sauce. Garnish with cilantro.

Shakshuka

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2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, peeled and diced
3 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 – 1 chile pepper (or to taste), stemmed, sliced in half and deseeded, finely diced/minced
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon paprika, smoked or sweet
1 teaspoon caraway seeds, crushed
1 teaspoon cumin seeds, crushed, or 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
2 pounds (1kg) ripe tomatoes, cored and diced, or two 14-ounce cans of diced or crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons honey
1 teaspoon red wine or cider vinegar
1 cup (20g) loosely packed greens, such as radish greens, watercress, kale, Swiss chard, or spinach, coarsely chopped
4 ounces (about 1 cup, 115g) feta cheese, cut in generous, bite-sized cubes
4 to 6 eggs
1. In a wide skillet, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onions and the garlic and cook for 5 minutes, until soft and wilted. Add the chile pepper, the salt, pepper, and spices. Cook for a minute, stirring constantly, to release their fragrance.

2. Add the fresh or canned tomatoes, tomato paste, honey, and vinegar, reduce the heat to medium, and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened somewhat but is still loose enough so that when you shake the pan it sloshes around. (Fresh tomatoes may take a little longer to cook than canned.) Stir in the chopped greens.

3. If you want to finish the Shakshuka on the stovetop, turn off the heat and press the cubes of feta into the tomato sauce. With the back of a spoon, make 6 indentations in the sauce. Crack an egg into each indentation, then drag a spatula gently through the egg whites so it mingles a bit with the tomato sauce, being careful not to disturb the yolks.

Turn the heat back on so the sauce is at a gentle simmer, and cook for about 10 minutes, taking some of the tomato sauce and basting the egg whites from time-to-time. Cover, and cook 3 to 5 minutes, until the eggs are cooked to your liking.

4. To finish them individually, preheat the oven to 375ºF (180ºC.) Divide the sauce into 6 baking dishes and press the feta cubes into the sauce. Set the baking dishes on a baking sheet, make an indentation in each, and crack and egg into the center. Bake until the eggs are cooked to your liking, basting the whites with some of the sauce midway during baking, which will take anywhere from 10 to 15 minutes – but begin checking them sooner to get them just right. If the yolks begin to get a little firm on top before the whites are cooked, drape a sheet of foil over them, but avoid having it touch the yolks.

Serve with lots of crusty bread for scraping up the sauce.