This, being the month of Christmas, a holiday celebrated among 160 of the 195 countries that make up this planet, I’ve decided to do a monthly installment of how different countries around the world celebrate this special holiday in their kitchens and feature their signature holiday meals. Some may be sides, some may be mains, maybe a dessert or two, some may be a complete dinner. Only time will tell by which country my girls have randomly pulled out of Santa’s hat.
Not gonna lie...it took a while to come up with this dish. But, I guess that should be expected in a relatively young (Zambia obtained their independence from the UK in 1964), land-locked country in the south-central region of the African continent. While most meals are served with the traditional Nshima (or Pap), a maize flour porridge, rice is reserved for special occasions, as is killing the village’s chicken! Therefore, and through some exhaustive research, I am bringing you, essentially, another chicken and rice dish in a week’s time. But, this flavor profile is different. Who knows, maybe I should start a chicken and rice series?!
The process in making this chicken gets slightly involved as you must be attentive to not burn the chicken since there is no use of cooking oil, only water and fat that renders from the chicken skin. However, you can pass the time by turning on a Zamrock station on Spotify or Pandora while you stir away. The music may be an acquired taste, but the dish is a knock-out and my girls loved it. One item to note is that you’ll want to use a chicken on the smaller side (~3.5 lbs) so you can fit everything in your cooking pot.
Zambian Chicken Stew
Small chicken (about 3 lbs), portioned
Onion, small dice
2 medium-sized tomatoes, medium chopped
1 tsp dried oregano
¾ tsp curry powder
Butcher your chicken into 8 pieces (2 wings, 2 legs, 2 thighs, and 2 boneless breast cutlets).
In a large pot, stir in a teaspoon of table salt, and add the chicken pieces, skin-side down. Cover the pot and bring to a boil. Once you hear the chicken begging to sizzle, you know it’s about time to add more water. (This process should take about 20 minutes). Take the top off the pot and, once the water and any fat has nearly evaporated, add an additional cup of water. Place the top back on the pot and repeat the process of boiling and then listening for the tell-tale sizzle of fat rendering.
Remove the top off the pot and add a half cup of water. If the skin has cooked enough, you should be able to easily move the pieces. If the chicken does not easily move, keep cooking with the water (this time with the top removed). After another round of boiling/sizzling, turn the chicken, it’s ok if you lose a little skin and repeat cooking uncovered with a half cup of water.
Once you have cooked the chicken on both sides, remove the breast portions and set aside on a plate. Add in the onions and tomatoes with 2 cups of water and a heavy pinch of salt. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes to break down the vegetables. Uncover the pot and stir in the curry powder and oregano. Add the chicken breasts, skin-side up on top of everything and cook an additional 5-10 minutes, covered, until desired consistency is reached. Remove the breasts once more and give everything a good stir.
Serve with steamed white rice.
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