People who know me would tell you that it's hard to tell which I like more: gardening or cooking. I'd say it depends on which I'm doing at the moment. Anyway, French cooking and French gardening go hand in hand. For me, cooking is an on-going adventure. Join me here on my culinary explorations, where I share with you both my old favorites as well as new inspirations. It's my fondest wish that these recipes serve as a springboard for your own new creations.
11/24/2008
Chicken yassa (Yassa poulet)
Ingredients:
2 free range chickens, cut into pieces
1/3 c. white or cider vinegar
1/4 c. salt
1 T. cider vinegar
About 1/4 c. olive or peanut oil
1 1/2 c. green olives, pitted
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1 small chile pepper (optional) seeded and minced
2 T. coarse-grained Dijon mustard
10 medium yellow onions, cut in half lengthwise and sliced
2 bay leaves
The chicken stock (below)
For the <I>nokos</I> spice paste:
2 small or 1 large head very fresh garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
1 chicken bouillon cube
1 T. ground Alep red pepper or other red pepper of your choice (heat of the dish will depend on pepper you choose)
2 T. black pepper corns
Pinch of sea salt
For the stock:
The backs and wingtips of the chickens above
1 carrot, peeled and sliced
2 leafy celery stalks, sliced
1 onion, stick with one clove
2 leeks, sliced
4 black pepper corns
6 leafy parsley sprigs
The day before, put the chicken into a large bowl, and rub the vinegar and salt into the skin. Rinse thoroughly and drain. (This thoroughly cleanses the chicken.)
Make the nokos spice paste. Grind the peppercorns in a mortar by first tapping to break them and then grinding. Add the garlic, bouillon cube and salt, grind to a paste. Incorporate the red pepper. Make 2 or 3 slits in the flesh of each chicken piece, inserting your knife at an angle so the slits run lengthwise rather than straight through. Force bits of nokos into the incisions. Rub the remaining paste over the surface of the chicken pieces. Place them in a big plastic container. Mix the mustard with the lime juice, minced chile (if using), 1 bouillon cube, crumbled, and 2 T. oil. Pour over the chicken.
Put the sliced onions in a separate bowl. Add the tablespoon vinegar, the other bouillon cube, crumbled, combine thoroughly. Now combine the onions and their juice with the chicken, mix thoroughly, refrigerate for up to 24 hours.
Make the chicken stock. in a stockpot, cover the chicken backs, wingtips, and gizzards with water. Bring to a boil and skim thoroughly. Add the other ingredients and simmer at least 4 hours over very low heat. Strain, reduce by one-half, and reserve in the refrigerator.
About an hour and half to two hours before serving, start a charcoal or hardwood fire. Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature. Scrape the onions (reserving them and the marinade) off the chicken, grill the chicken until golden brown on all sides (about 30 minutes) over hot coals.
Meanwhile, saute the onions from the marinade in the remaining oil until golden. Add the marinade, the bay leaves, and the reduced chicken stock. Simmer for 15 minutes. Add the olives, and the chicken pieces as you remove them from the grill. Simmer the chicken in the sauce for 10 minutes. Serve with steamed short-grain white rice and sweet potato fries.
Note: This dish is one of the classics of Senegalese cooking. Inserting the nokos spice paste into the flesh of chicken, beef, or fish is a classic Senegalese technique. Yassa poulet is probably the only time you'll see me use a bouillon cube. When the Senegalese met the Kub bouillon cube during French colonial times, it was love at first sight. They even paint entire store fronts in red and yellow to resenble giant Kubs! The cubes are essential for true Senegalese flavor here, so please use them. This is a great party dish that can be prepared up to four hours before serving and gently reheated.
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