The food found at Kwanzaa celebrations can range in origin, as “The Kwanzaa Cookbook” by Eric Copage shows. The variety of recipes found in this cookbook include roots in the African diaspora, Caribbean and the South. For your Kwanzaa gathering, make chicken yassa, a spicy dish that is especially popular in West Africa.
Ingredients:
4 large onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (31/2-pound) chicken, cut into 8 pieces
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium carrot, chopped
1 medium celery rib, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 fresh hot chile pepper, such as jalapeno, seeded and minced
1/2 cup chicken broth, homemade or canned
Hot cooked rice or couscous
Instructions:
1. In a large bowl, combine the onions, lime juice, salt and pepper. Add the chicken and toss to coat well. Cover, and refrigerate for at least 3 and up to 6 hours. Remove the chicken from the marinade and pat it dry with paper towels. Drain the marinade in a colander and set over a large bowl. Reserve both the liquid and the solids.
2. Heat the oil in a 5-quart Dutch oven. In batches, cook the chicken over medium-high heat, turning often, until browned on all sides, about 6 minutes per batch. Using tongs, transfer the chicken to a plate and set it aside.
3. Add the reserved marinated onions and the carrot, celery, garlic and chile pepper to the Dutch oven. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until the onions have softened, about 8 minutes. Stir in the chicken broth and the reserved marinade liquid; bring to a boil. Return the chicken to the Dutch oven; reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer, covered, until the chicken shows no sign of pink at the bone when prodded with the tip of a sharp knife, 35 to 40 minutes. Serve over rice. Serves 4.
© CTW Features
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