Two recipes you need to try
AFRICAN foods and flavours are as diverse and colourful as the continent, yet African cuisine is celebrated more in other parts of the world than here at home. Generally, South Africans are not adventurous eaters. Though West African cuisine may remain somewhat of an enigma to many of us, historically it is one of the world’s most influential food cultures. Here are two recipes to help you appreciate it.
KENKEY
Kenkey is a Ghanaian bread. Ingredients
450 g white cornmeal
1 tbs cornstarch 800 ml warm water (at 37ºc)
1 tsp salt
Dried corn leaves
Method
Pour the cornmeal and the cornstarch into a large bowl. Add warm water and stir to form a smooth dough.
Cover with a cloth and put it in a warm place for 2 days, then divide the dough in half.
Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a large pot, add salt and reduce heat to medium. Place half of the dough in the water and mix. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring regularly.
Remove pot from the heat, stir in the rest of the dough and mix well.
Divide the dough into 3 or 4 large portions, form balls and place each ball on a corn leaf. Wrap corn leaf around each ball and tie up with a string.
Pour a large amount of hot water into a steamer. Place the packaged kenkey in the steam basket and bring the water to a boil over high heat.
Reduce to low heat and steam for about 1 hour and 30 minutes.
CHICKEN YASSA
Chicken Yassa is easy and looks great. Ingredients
1kg chicken legs
6 brown onions
3 tbs Dijon mustard
1 lemon
25g pitted green olives to garnish
1 tsp rock salt
2 tsp black pepper
2 cloves of garlic
2 tbs dried parsley
Kenkey
2 tbs olive oil
200ml chicken stock
Method
Season the chicken with ½ tsp salt, 1 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp dried parsley and 1 tbs of Dijon mustard. Cover and allow to marinate for 15 minutes.
After 15 minutes place the chicken pieces on a baking tray and bake at 180ºc degrees for 20 minutes until the skin is lovely and golden brown.
Finely slice the onions and place in a mixing bowl
To the sliced onions add 2 tbs of Dijon mustard, 2 cloves of crushed garlic, and the juice of 1 squeezed lemon. Mix thoroughly and set aside for 10 minutes After 10 minutes add 2 tbs of olive oil to a heated pan. Drain the onions from the marinade (you will need the marinade later) and begin to brown the onions
Once the onions turn golden brown add ½ tsp salt, 1 tsp black pepper 2 dried bay leaves and 1 tsp of dried parsley, as well as the marinade that you took the onions from, and stir
Lastly you want to remove the browned chicken from the oven and add it to the onions, followed by 200ml of chicken stock, then garnish with the green olives and allow to simmer for 10 minutes
Serve with brown rice and a side of salad.
Delectable!