I like to try and celebrate as many different holidays as possible. Not because I lack an identity, but it helps me step outside of my comfort zone, learn some new recipes, cultures, and even some new music while I cook. Playing regional music while you cook adds a little fun to the evening, gets everyone in the right mood, and may be just as important as pairing a regional wine to a meal.
This is the first time I’m celebrating Kwanzaa. By celebrate, I mean just that: paying homage to a culture. I’m not Jewish, but I make some bangin’ matzo ball soup. I’m not French, either, but I nailed many meals this past year. I feel like perhaps this country could use a bit more cultural appreciation and challenging of one’s self to appreciate that which is foreign. I dare you to try it. It’s endlessly rewarding and mind expanding. Further, in today’s dish, there’s not one really exotic ingredient that you can’t find at most grocery stores, yet the dish is other-worldly.
Today, I’m celebrating both sides of Africa. Eastern Africa is represented by the dish: Chicken Yassa. This dish is an explosion of variant flavors of the spiced West Indies, herbs and limes of Asia and sweet, spicy, tart blend mashup inherent to Senagalese cuisine. The background of the dish is surrounded by an amazing necklace that my fiancé received as a gift from her sister, who spent a year abroad in Kenya with a Maasai family. The flat bead necklaces are often worn by Maasai women and vary depending on their age and social status.
The colors of the beads have significance as well: red signifies blood, bravery, and unity. White represents health, peace, and purity. Blue is the color of the sky and represents energy, and green is the color of grass, which signifies the land and production. Black represents the people and the struggle they must endure. Yellow symbolizes the sun, fertility, and growth, and orange represents warmth, generosity, and friendship. Yellow is particularly relevant today in my Kwanzaan dish. Kwanzaa translates to first fruits (of the season) and I, too, have experienced growth today in my never ending journey of culinary appreciation.
Chicken Yassa Adapted from NY Times Cooking, Pierre Thiam
While the chicken is usually grilled, I waited too long in the day and don’t like grilling skin-on items in the dark of winter, when I can’t easily monitor the skin charring, so I used a cast iron skillet, instead.
Marinade
4 chicken legs
4 scallions, thinly sliced
2 tsp dried thyme
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp peanut oil
¼ cup lime juice
Sauce
4 tbsp vegetable oil
2 lbs yellow onion
1 green bell pepper, sliced very thin
½ tsp red pepper flakes
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp ginger, minced
3 bay leaves
2 tbsp whole ground dijon mustard
¼ cup lime juice
Couscous
1 cup couscous
1 cup chicken stock
1 tbsp butter
½ tsp saffron
½ cup of green olives, minced
Fistful of cilantro minced
Combine all of the marinade ingredients in a small ziploc bag. Shale and rub to incorporate. Place in the fridge for at least 4 hours, or upto 18 hours.
When ready to prepare the meal, remove the chicken from the marinade and season with kosher salt and black pepper. Preheat 1 tbsp of oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat and cook the chicken, browning on all sides, for approximately 20 mins, reducing the heat to medium if the skin is charring too quickly. Set aside on a plate.
Meanwhile, halve your onions and slice into ½ inch slices. Preheat 3 tbsp oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Stir in the onions, coating all with oil. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and black pepper and stir to incorporate, then let the onions saute for 4 mins, before stirring again. Repeat this process 2 more times for a total cooking time of approximately 12 minutes.
After the onions have cooked down and caramelized, stir in the peppers, pepper flakes and ginger. Stir to incorporate and let cook for 2 more minutes. Then, add in the garlic, stirring constantly for a minute and pour in the lime juice. Saute until all the moisture has nearly evaporated.
Then, add in 1 cup of water and bring to a boil. Place the chicken skin-side up into the pot. Cover and reduce the heat to low and let cook for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, pour the dry couscous into a bowl. In a small sauce pan, bring the stock and butter to a boil, then add in the saffron and a pinch of salt. Cover, turn off the heat and let sit for 5 minutes. After a 5-minute steeping, return the stock to a boil and pour over the couscous. Cover the bowl and set aside until the chicken is ready to serve. At that time fluff with a fork and stir in the olives and cilantro.
Plate couscous and top with chicken and stewed vegetables and sauce.
_____________________________________________ Copyright 2020, Brendan McCann, All Rights Reserved.
Comments