International Cooking Project: Republic of the Congo

Poulet Yassa

I made this dish on Thursday, June 23. In doing this project, I learned that there are two separate Congos: Democratic Republic of the the Congo and Republic of the Congo. I don't know what the difference is between the two, but I do know that they both have tasty national dishes!

The national dish of the Republic of the Congo is Poulet Yassa, which is a simple, but flavorful, chicken, vegetable and rice dish. The inclusion of a habanero pepper gives this dish just a hint of heat. The marinating of the chicken overnight made it really tender and flavorful. Poulet Yassa reminded me of some dish from my childhood, but I couldn't put my finger on what. Like all of the other recipes, I found this one online.

Poulet Yassa

INGREDIENTS:

-1/2 c. peanut oil

-1 chicken, cut into serving pieces

-4 onions, chopped

-8 T. lemon juice

-8 T. cider vinegar

-1 bay leaf

-4 cloves garlic, minced

-2 T. Dijon mustard

-1-2 tsp. Maggi sauce (I used soy sauce because my Maggi sauce hasn't yet arrived from amazon.com)

-1 habanero, cleaned and finely chopped

-cayenne, pepper, salt

-1 small head of cabbage, cut into chunks

-a few carrots, cut into chunks

DIRECTIONS:

1) Mix all ingredients except cabbage and carrots in a glass dish. Allow chicken to marinate overnight. Remove chicken, save marinade.

2) Heat some peanut oil in a pan. Brown chicken.

3) While chicken is browning, remove onions from marinade and sauté them in a large saucepan for a few minutes. Add remaining marinade and vegetables. Bring to a slow boil and cook for 10 minutes. Reduce heat.