Mélange: Senegalese Cuisine

2. Senegalese Cuisine

Both my mother and I have a trace of ancestry shared with folks from Senegal. It is difficult to determine whether this is entirely from my maternal side or if I also share a little bit from my paternal DNA. But then, the African ancestry is problematic because all the multicultural mixing means we strayed far from the motherland in many ways.

Senegal is the westernmost point in continental Africa (a nice swim across from Cape Verde). A base of operations used by the Portuguese, Dutch, and British slave traders; Senegal was eventually taken over by the French. Whether any Portuguese and French ancestry is attached to Senegal is unclear—we’ll never know!

Because of its colonial history, Senegalese cuisine is influenced by Northern African, French and Portuguese culinary traditions. And because Senegal is one of the most ethnically diverse nations in the African continent, regional variations of dishes abound.

Popular ingredients range from chicken and lamb (which make up for plenty of stew recipes). A coastal nation, Atlantic fish is also an important part of their diet. Their biggest crop is peanuts, and certainly there are plenty of peanuts sauce recipes in their repertoire. They also grow couscous, white rice, yams, lentils and peas. I like all of this, which adds to the mystery of why I don’t have more Senegalese dishes in my own catalogue. Because they are predominantly Muslim, though, they have no pork in their diet. Other than that, their food seems pretty tasty.

While it is entirely possible, I don’t specifically recall having any Senegalese food. I have had my eye on a recipe for a few years but it still hasn’t made the rotation: chicken stew (poulet yassa). My interest has not waned but we have encountered a problem: Mom seems to have developed an allergy to mustard and this means rethinking the marinade.

The beauty of Chicken Yassa is that it is such a versatile dish:

1. it can be made with thighs, legs, breasts or a whole cut up chicken,

2. it can be in winter or summer (grilled or in the oven), and

3. there are enough variations that adaptations are easy to conceive.

Chicken Yassa requires four important steps: (1) marinade (for taste as well as tenderizing), (2) brown meat, (3) sauté onions, and (4) simmer. The marinating can be done overnight, and the dish requires light hands-on work. You won’t have to stand watch over the stove while it cooks. So, if you make this for guests, you can enjoy their company—plus it can be made ahead and reheated.

And while the recipe and its taste profile seem familiar enough, what distinguishes this dish is the onion marinade. It gives it a nice kick. The dish is said to have originated in Southern Senegal, but I suspect a Northern African influence because the marinade resembles scabetche (or escabeche for my Latino cousins).

Poulet Yassa (Senegalese Chicken Stew)

For marinade:

4-6 onions thinly sliced

½ cup vegetable or peanut oil (divided)

5-6 cloves of garlic, minced

½ cup lemon juice (approximately 4 lemons)

½ cup red wine vinegar

1 chile pepper (or a jalapeño) chopped* (see notes)

2 tablespoons Sriracha mayonnaise* (see notes)

Salt and pepper to taste* (see notes)

1 whole chicken cut in serving pieces or 3-4 lbs in chicken thighs, legs, and breasts (skin on)

½ cup water (or low sodium chicken stock)

Optional:

One large carrot cut in ¼-inch slices

¼ cup of salad olives

Mix ¼ cup of oil and all ingredients together to create marinade and rub onto chicken. Refrigerate overnight.

Remove chicken from marinade. Grill chicken 10-15 minutes per side (brown but do not fully cook).

Heat ¼ cup of oil in pan on medium and sauté onions until soft and translucent.  Add rest of marinade, carrots and olives (if using), and water (or stock), bring to a boil. Cover and cook for 5-8 minutes.

Add chicken to pan, reduce heat to simmer. Cook until chicken juices run clear (20-30 minutes).

Notes:

1. To make the Sriracha Mayonnaise: mix 1 cup of mayonnaise, 2 teaspoons of powdered garlic, 1 tablespoon of Sriracha, 1 lemon juiced (if you have no lemons, you may use limes for a slightly different tartness, or substitute with a tablespoon or two of vinegar), and a pinch of sea salt (alternatively, you may substitute salt with a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce). This can be made ahead and keeps well refrigerated.

2. If using Dijon mustard (or my Sriracha mayonnaise alternative) you may wish to curtail additional salt—especially if you’ll also add olives at the end. The same can be said for pepper—it depends on how much heat you enjoy. Taste the marinade before adding to chicken, do not over-season.

3. Most yassa recipes include a cube of Maggi or chicken stock, but we omitted and used water instead to keep the sodium content relatively low.

4. You can use bell peppers, if you prepper a milder taste.

You may serve with additional lemon slices (if you like it tart). Serve over rice (white or brown) or couscous. Bon appétit, mon ami!