Entree: Cote d'Ivoire – National Cuisine – Kedjenou de Poulet (Slow-braised Ivorian chicken stew cooked with tomatoes, peppers, fragrant spices, and little added liquid until tender)

Serving Size: 4

Approximate Time

Prep 20 min

Cook 50 min

Total 1 hr 10 min

Ingredients

- 1 whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces, approx. 3.5 lb (1.6 kg)
- 1 1/2 tsp (6 g) kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp (1 g) black pepper
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) palm oil (or vegetable oil)
- 1 large (150 g) onion, sliced
- 3 cloves (9 g) garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp (6 g) fresh ginger, grated
- 2 cups (480 g) chopped tomatoes (fresh or canned)
- 1 medium (150 g) eggplant, cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes
- 1 cup (100 g) okra, sliced
- 1 small (40 g) carrot, sliced (optional)
- 1 whole scotch bonnet or habanero pepper, pierced (leave whole for milder heat)
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) tomato paste
- 1 bouillon cube (chicken) or 1 tsp (5 g) bouillon powder
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) water (or just enough to deglaze)
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 tbsp (8 g) chopped fresh parsley or cilantro
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) lime juice
- Salt to taste

Instructions

1. Season the chicken pieces with 1 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper. In a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, heat 2 tbsp palm oil over medium-high heat and brown chicken pieces in batches 3–4 minutes per side until golden; remove and set aside.
2. Reduce heat to medium, add sliced onion and sauté 4–5 minutes until softened. Add minced garlic and grated ginger and cook 30 seconds until fragrant. Stir in tomato paste and chopped tomatoes and cook 3–4 minutes to break down the tomatoes.
3. Return browned chicken to the pot, nestle eggplant and carrot (if using) around the pieces, add the whole pierced scotch bonnet, okra, bouillon cube, thyme sprigs, and 1/2 cup water to just deglaze any browned bits. Do not submerge chicken; the dish should steam rather than boil.
4. Cover the pot tightly (use foil under the lid if needed to seal) and reduce heat to low. Simmer gently 40–50 minutes, turning once halfway, until chicken is tender and vegetables have softened and the sauce has concentrated.
5. Remove the scotch bonnet and thyme stems. Stir in chopped parsley or cilantro and 1 tbsp lime juice. Adjust salt to taste.
6. Serve Kedjenou de Poulet hot with steamed rice, attiéké, or fufu, spooning the reduced sauce over the starch.