Yassa Poulet or Chicken Yassa is a traditional meal in Africa from the Casamance people of Senegal.
It consist of a flavourful chicken that is marinated with caramelized onions and also olives and vegetable can be added for a more flavourful taste. Senegalese chicken yassa has elements of both Poulet Provencal and Poulet à la Moutarde. The onions add’s a lot of sweetness to the dish, whilst the olives give it a savoury salty feel. Mustard brings warmth and the peanut butter adds creaminess. Below is a way of making Yassa poulet;
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon of mustard
- 1 tablespoon of parsley
- 2 tablespoon of olive oil
- 150ml of chicken stock
- Chicken thighs
- 1 medium onions
- 1 tablespoon of lemon jucie
- 1 medium garlic
- bay leaf
- Peanut butter.
- Pitted green olives
Procedure
- Wash and thinly slice the onions, and finely chop the garlic. Finely chop parsley, including stalks and slice the olives into rounds.
- Mix a tbsp of mustard, parsley and some salt and pepper. Slather the mixture all over the chicken thighs and leave to marinate for at least 15 minutes.
- Once marinated place the chicken thighs under a preheated grill for 12-15 minutes until just cooked through.
- In the meantime, place the sliced onions, remaining tbsp of mustard, garlic and the juice of a lemon in a large bowl. Mix and set aside for 5 minutes.
- Add 2 tbsp of olive oil to a large frying pan on low-medium heat. Add the onion mixture and a bay leaf, and cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally until softened and starting to brown lightly.
- When the chicken is cooked, add the thighs to the onion pan. Mix 150ml of chicken stock with the peanut butter. Pour it into the pan and leave to simmer on low heat for another 10 minutes allowing the sauce to thicken. Take off the heat and keep covered.
- Scatter the green olives on top before serving.
