This is a revisited recipe! Originally known to be from Casamance, the southern region of Senegal, Yassa is a one of the national dishes in Senegal, after the "Thiebou Dieune", and is best known with its "chicken" version. The pieces of chicken (or fish and meat) are brushed with mustard, sometimes quilted with spices filling such as bay leaves, garlic and crushed onions, marinated in lemon, cooked with lots of onions and sometimes pepper and are usually served with white rice. That's the ritual, the secret to have a great Yassa. Yum! Yassa is a Senegalese dish based on meat, chicken or fish with a sauce of caramelized onions and lemon juice that can be accompanied with white rice. So here, I will try to give you the directions for the chicken version!
The process is the same for the cooking of the dish in general, besides variations that come with those three main ingredients. Now, let's get down on this recipe, shall we?
INGREDIENTS
· 6 onions
· 5 chicken thighs
· 8 garlic cloves
· 1 lemon (or lime)
· 2 tablespoons of Yassa 2.0
· 3 tablespoons of Yassa Much
· 2 tablespoons of 7-Herbs and Garlic
· Salt and pepper
· 1 cup of oil (vegetable or peanut)
· 2 Bay leaves
· 1 cup of Yassa 2.0
White Rice
· 4 1/2 cups water
· 3 1/2 cups uncooked rice
· 1 teaspoon salt
· 2 tablespoon of olive oil
· 1 can or bag of mix vegetables
PREPARATION
*If you're planning on using the oven, make sure to preheat the oven to 375 F (190 C) then shift to broil mode (450 - 500F) once you place the chicken in!
1. Thoroughly wash your chicken thighs with salt, lime. In a small cup, mix 2 tablespoons of Yassa Much and 2 tablespoons of 7-herbs and Garlic. Create several slits on the thighs and proceed by marinating each slit with some of the spice mixture.
2. Then, in a large bowl, put the 3 tablespoons of Yassa 2.0 and the remainder of the spice mixture (if you still have some left).
3. Squeeze the lemon or lime and reserve
4. Stir all of this mixture with a wooden spatula, while gently pouring in the squeezed lemon juice
5. In the meantime, slice the onions and put in the marinade mixture. Then, place the thighs in and reserve for at least 10 minutes. For more flavor, you can prepare it all a day before cooking the dish and let everything marinate overnight.
6. Spray your pan or airfryer then proceed by removing the thighs from the marinated onions and get them ready to be cooked for 20 minutes.
7. Separately in a big saucepan or skillet, heat 1 cup of oil and gently add the marinade with the onions. Stir and let it simmer for 15 minutes with half a cup of water in low heat. Next, puree the garlic cloves.
8. After 15 minutes, add the bay leaves and the garlic puree. By now, the chicken should be all cooked and ready to be added to the sauce. Once the chicken is added, add the cup of Yassa 2.0 and 1 tablespoon of Yassa Much. Then, let it simmer over low heat for about 5 minutes. Salt and pepper for taste!
The rice:
1. Place the rice, water, olive oil and salt into a rice cooker. Cook the rice according to the “white rice” setting on the rice cooker.
2. When the rice has finished cooking, toss the rice. Strain and add the vegetables, taking care to be gentle, and not mash the rice and the vegetables.
PRESENTATION
First, fluff the rice with a fork and serve hot; then serve the sauce over. There is no proper way to serve it but usually we have the meat in the middle! Then we add boiled eggs, sweet or bell peppers, and cucumbers. If you want people to eat separately, you can take several small plates. But traditionally Senegal, everyone eats on the same dish.
As usual, let us know how it went!
Aby
