Chicken Yassa Recipe

Here’s a recipe to make the most of this week’s special offer on chicken legs. Yassa is one of Senegal’s favourite dishes. Jamie Oliver says this dish is “full of surprises as it transforms from lip-puckering tartness, to sweet, spicy, zingy and balanced. I love using a combination of sweeter lemons and tart limes. Your Yassa can be as mild or as fiery as you wish.”

INGREDIENTS

4 whole chicken legs (skin on), slashed
4 medium onions, 2 roughly chopped, 2 thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, peeled
1 spring onion, roughly chopped
½ green pepper, roughly chopped
15g ginger, roughly chopped
1 scotch bonnet chilli, deseeded and chopped
a handful flat-leaf parsley
2 lemons, juiced
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
3 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 bay leaf
green olives, (optional)
plain rice, couscous or vermicelli, to serve

 

METHOD

In a food processor, blitz together the roughly chopped onions, garlic, spring onion, pepper, ginger, chilli, parsley and a good pinch of salt. Add the juice of one lemon and the mustard, and blitz again.

Put the marinade in a bowl with the chicken legs and thinly sliced onion, toss and leave to marinate for at least couple of hours (or overnight if you like).

Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Remove the chicken from the marinade, brushing off any excess, put onto a baking tray and roast for 45 minutes or until deep golden and cooked through.

While the chicken is cooking, heat the oil in a large wide pan over a high heat, then stir in the marinade and onions. Add the vinegar, bay, and some salt and pepper, and cook over a medium-high heat for 35-40 minutes, stirring regularly, or until the onions are cooked through, melting and caramelised. Stir in the remaining lemon juice.

Add the roasted chicken and olives (if using) to the pan, cover and cook for 5 minutes on a low heat to let the flavours combine. Sprinkle over a little extra parsley, if you like, and serve with rice, couscous or vermicelli.

 

 

Recipe originally found at: https://www.olivemagazine.com/recipes/chef-recipes/chicken-yassa/