Poulet Yassa
A Casamance dish credited to Diola culinary tradition in southwest Senegal, its name reflecting Portuguese coastal contact ('assar,' to roast). Chicken is marinated overnight in lemon juice, mustard, and a mountain of onions, then grilled or seared first for real char before being simmered back into the slow-caramelized onion sauce — skipping that initial grilling step is the shortcut that loses the dish's real depth.
Meat
⚠ Contains: Mustard. Always check your own ingredients — this isn't a guarantee for severe allergies.
Ingredients
- 8 chicken thighs and legs
- 6 large yellow onions, sliced
- 4 lemons, juiced
- 3 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Scotch bonnet or habanero chile
- 1 bay leaf
- 60ml vegetable or peanut oil
- Black pepper, salt
- Cooked rice, to serve
Steps
- Marinate the chicken overnight in the lemon juice, mustard, sliced onions, garlic, chile, oil, salt, and pepper.
- Remove the chicken from the marinade (reserve the onions and liquid) and grill or sear until charred on the outside.
- In a pot, sauté the reserved marinated onions slowly until deeply soft and golden.
- Return the chicken to the pot with the onions, bay leaf, and a little of the reserved marinade or stock.
- Simmer until the chicken is tender and the sauce has thickened. Serve over rice.