Entree: Gabon – Central Culinary Region – Poulet Nyembwe (Chicken in palm-nut sauce)

Serving Size: 4

Approximate Time

Prep 20 min

Cook 1 hr 10 min

Total 1 hr 30 min

Ingredients

- 6 bone‑in chicken thighs and drumsticks, approx. 3 lb (1.36 kg)
- 1 cup (240 g) palm nut paste (nyembwe paste or canned palm fruit concentrate)
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) palm oil (or red palm kernel oil)
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) neutral vegetable oil
- 1 large onion, chopped, approx. 8 oz (225 g)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced (approx. 9 g)
- 1 tbsp (6 g) fresh ginger, grated (approx. 1 inch / 2.5 cm)
- 2 medium tomatoes, chopped, approx. 10 oz (280 g)
- 1 tbsp (15 g) tomato paste
- 1 scotch bonnet or habanero pepper, whole or halved (optional), approx. 0.2 oz (5 g)
- 2 smoked mackerel fillets or smoked fish, boned and flaked, approx. 8 oz (225 g)
- 2 cups (480 ml) chicken stock
- 1 bouillon cube (or 1 tsp / 5 g bouillon powder)
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp (5 g) dried thyme or 1 tbsp (3 g) fresh thyme leaves
- Salt to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 2 tbsp (8 g) chopped fresh parsley or cilantro
- 2 cups (uncooked) long‑grain white rice for serving, 2 cups (uncooked) (about 14 oz / 400 g) — or cooked plantains as an alternative

Instructions

1. Pat the chicken dry and season with salt and pepper. Heat the vegetable oil in a large heavy pot over medium‑high heat; brown the chicken in batches until golden on all sides, about 6–8 minutes per batch. Remove and set aside.
2. In the same pot reduce heat to medium, add palm oil and sauté the chopped onion until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and ginger and cook 1 minute until fragrant.
3. Stir in tomato paste and chopped tomatoes; cook until tomatoes break down, about 5 minutes. Add the palm nut paste and stir to combine, then pour in chicken stock to loosen the mixture.
4. Add the smoked fish, bouillon cube, bay leaves, thyme and the whole scotch bonnet (if using). Return the browned chicken to the pot, submerging pieces in the sauce. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook until chicken is tender, about 30–40 minutes.
5. Uncover and simmer 10–15 minutes more to thicken the sauce to a glossy consistency. Taste and adjust salt and pepper; remove bay leaves and the whole pepper if used.
6. Stir in chopped parsley or cilantro. Serve the poulet nyembwe hot over cooked white rice (or with boiled/roasted plantains), spooning plenty of sauce over the chicken.