Dish of Chicken Yassa Stew
(click to enlarge)

Chicken Yassa


Africa, Senegal   -   Poulet Yassa (French); Yassa Ganaar (Wolof)
Serves:
Effort:
Sched:
DoAhead:  		 4 main
***
5+ hrs
Yes		 A very popular dish from Senegal that has spread over much of West Africa. It is simple, delicious, and requires no hard to get ingredients. It is best done in steps.

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Chicken (1)
Onion
-- Marinade
Garlic
Lemon Juice
Olive Oil
Dijon Mustard
Salt
Bouillon (2)
-- Yassa
Chicken
Onion
Oil
Marinade
Chili Habanero  
Broth (3)
Salt
Pepper
-- Garnish
Green Olives
Marinade   -   (40 min work- 3 to 12 hours ahead)
  1. Prepare CHICKEN as needed - see Chicken for details.
  2. Slice ONIONS in half lengthwise. Slice lengthwise again for quarters, but not through the root end. Slice thin crosswise.
  3. Crush GARLIC and mix all Marinade items.
  4. Place Chicken and Onions in a non-reactive bowl. Gently massage Marinade into Chicken and Onions. Marinate for about 3 hours at room temperature, or 8 to 12 hours in the fridge.
Chicken   -   (30 min to 1 hr - can be done a day ahead and refrigerated.)
  1. Drain Chicken (keeping all marinade) and wipe dry. Brown on both sides, probably in batches. Method can be on a grill, in a broiler, on a griddle, or in a pan with 2 T Oil. Except in a pan, brush with oil before browning. Caution: Watch your temperature and time, chicken skin burns easily.
Onions   -   (40 min - can be done a day ahead - or while browning Chicken)
  1. Drain Onions (keeping all marinade). Place in a spacious sauté pan (3-1/2 qt) and fry, stirring over decreasing flame and with increasing stirring until Onions are lightly caramelized.
Garnish   -   (5 to 15 min)
  1. Pit OLIVES (if needed) and slice crosswise fairly thick.
Finish   (50 min)
  1. In a suitable Pot or Dutch Oven, place the Chicken in a single layer. Spread the Onions over it.
  2. Split the Habanero open and add to the pot. Pour in the reserved Marinade and the Broth, Salt and Pepper.
  3. Bring to a boil, then turn to a simmer until Chicken is tender, 25 to 40 minutes, depending on thickness.
  4. Serve garnished with Olives, and with plenty of steamed long grain rice.
NOTES:

  1. Chicken:

      Various recipes use Thighs, Legs, Legs and Thighs, and sometimes breasts, or all of the above. All are bone-in and skin-on, with excess fat removed. For buffet service, I would use deboned thigh meat cut into largish chunks after roasting. Problems: The photo example was made with thighs. California thighs tend to be huge - so I cut them in half crosswise with a sharp Chinese cleaver knife driven by a soft faced mallet. The skin on our chicken thighs has no adhesion to the meat at all, so you can be excused if you omit it (use it when making the broth). If you want skin-on, drumsticks are what you want. I often cut the thin end off and use it for making broth.

  2. Bouillon:

      (optional)   In West Africa, Maggi Cubes go into just about everything. You could also use about 2 teaspoons of Chicken Bouillon Powder, other Bouillon of your choice, or omit if you prefer.

  3. Broth:

      This should be a good Chicken Broth, but in Africa it's more likely to be water with a couple Maggi Cubes. In the tropics and without refrigeration regular broth spoils in just a few hours.

  4. Variations:

      Some recipes use Lime Juice instead of Lemon Juice, and some use a mix of both. Some recipes add 1/4 cup of Cider Vinegar, but I think the lemon or lime juice is plenty sour. Some recipes stir the Olives into the stew and garnish with Parsley.

  5. Comments:

      This dish originated in Casamance, in the south of Senegal, the part below Gambia. While the whole of Senegal is 95.9% Muslim and 4.1% Christian, Casamance is about 16% Christian, 30% Native Religion and 54% Muslim. The tribes are also different between Casamance and the rest of Senegal. There is an independence movement and intermittent violence. This has not prevented Chicken Yassa from spreading to all of Senegal and most of West Africa.
  6. U.S. measure: t=teaspoon, T=Tablespoon, c=cup, qt=quart, oz=ounce, #=pound, cl=clove in=inch, ar=as required tt=to taste
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