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Yassa au Poulet

Printed From: Foods of the World Forum
Category: Africa
Forum Name: West Africa
Forum Discription: West Africa
URL: http://foodsoftheworld.ActiveBoards.net/forum_posts.asp?TID=5419
Printed Date: 26 March 2026 at 16:47


Topic: Yassa au Poulet
Posted By: TasunkaWitko
Subject: Yassa au Poulet
Date Posted: 21 May 2019 at 09:13
Yassa au Poulet
Chicken Yassa

From Wikipedia:

Quote Yassa


A chicken and rice dish with a distinctive onion sauce. Traditionally eaten from a communal platter, with the onion sauce spooned on top of the rice just before eating.

Yassa is a spicy dish prepared with onions and either marinated poultry or marinated fish. Originally from Senegal, yassa has become popular throughout West Africa. Chicken yassa (known as yassa au poulet), prepared with onions and lemon, is a specialty from the Casamance region in the south of Senegal.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yassa_(food)


In my research on Chicken Yassa, it seemed to me that it is a combination of Senegalese and French culinary traditions, and appears to be as much about the method of cooking as the ingredients. The fundamental characteristic of the dish is that it is comprised of chicken marinated in a robust combination of onions and lemon juice with various seasonings. The chicken is then broiled, grilled or fried in order to brown it, while the onions from the marinade are caramelised on the stovetop. The chicken is finished by braising it in a rich, tangy sauce produced by the onions, marinade and stock or water. Chicken Yassa is traditionally served with rice and accompanied by vegetables, but couscous also seems to be a common starch, as well. The "Yassa" method can also be applied to fish, lamb or even monkey.

The quintessential ingredients of Chicken Yassa seem to be:

Chicken
Onions
Lemon juice
Oil (usually peanut oil)
Salt and pepper
Hot chile pepper
Water or chicken stock

Many recipes also include:

Garlic
Mustard
Green olives

Some recipes employ other spices or vinegars, but these seem to be variations, embellishments or added "chefy-ness," depending on the source.

Following are links to various recipes - in no particular order - along with some background information and notes that should give one a fair introduction to Chicken Yassa:

https://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Yassa-Poulet-Grilled-Chicken-Caramelized-Onion
https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/255466/senegalese-chicken-yassa/
https://www.196flavors.com/senegal-chicken-yassa/
https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/chicken-yassa-104782
https://www.africanbites.com/yassa-chickenpoulet-au-yassa/
https://www.panningtheglobe.com/senegalese-chicken-yassa/

I must say, this looks like a very tasty dish, and I would like to try it. I would probably compile an amalgam of the recipes above, using the most common ingredient as well as a few others that w/should keep the recipe within the realm of "plausibility," in accordance with the original. I would also probably use a fairly mild pepper, or perhaps even substitute with chili powder, in deference to The Beautiful-Yet-Wimpy-Mrs. Tas. From there, I would prepare the dish following the basic method that all of the recipes share in close relation.

I'd like to thank our member Melissa Mead for bringing this dish to my attention; I had never heard of it before, but it looks to be one that would definitely be worth trying. I'll do my best to get it into our rotation, sooner rather than later.

If anyone else tries this, please do report on the recipe used, as well as the results of your experiment!

Ron

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Replies:
Posted By: Margi Cintrano
Date Posted: 21 May 2019 at 14:41


I think this is a lovely dish and has tremendous variations depending on country and location.




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Volamos a Mediterraneo, un paraiso que conquista su gente u su cocina.

Posted By: Margi Cintrano
Date Posted: 21 May 2019 at 14:54


Here it is: 

The Lady Chef:    Sabrina Ghayour 

Contact:   enquiries@sabrinaghayour.com 

RECIPES:  Http://bbc.com/food/chefs/sabrina_ghayour

I have 1 of her 5 or 6 books .. 

She prepares a Persian dish with Chicken, Pomegranates,  Walnuts and Basmati that is a Marvel. 





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Volamos a Mediterraneo, un paraiso que conquista su gente u su cocina.

Posted By: Melissa Mead
Date Posted: 22 May 2019 at 18:49
Thank you! I've been wanting to cook something Senegalese. I saw a recipe for this, and I wanted to try it with a mild pepper, but it required a grill, which I haven't got. Sounds like it's not a crucial requirement after all!


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Melissa

http://carpelibris.wordpress.com/ - http://carpelibris.wordpress.com/



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