Category: Ivorian cuisine

Ivorian cuisine

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One-pot oven Jollof rice

This recipe of One-pot Baked Chicken and Jollof Rice start on the stove and finishes cooking in the oven. This One-pot Baked Chicken and Jollof Rice is also a combination of west African and Indians of terrific aromatic, spices and flavors. The little thing that makes all the difference in this recipe is the fried anise, allspice pepper, bay leaf, cinnamon and cloves before adding the rice and well-seasoned chicken. This recipe of One-pot Baked Chicken and Jollof Rice is outrageously delicious!

One-pot Baked Chicken and Jollof Rice Secret: “fried anise, allspice pepper, bay leaf, cinnamon and cloves”

One-pot oven Jollof rice
One-pot oven Jollof rice

This One-pot Baked Chicken and Jollof Rice starts on the stove because frying the anise, allspice pepper, bay leaf, cinnamon and cloves ensure the best flavors possible in the most effective way. If your oil begins to smoke, it is too hot and should be either removed from the heat source or the heat source should be turned down. Once they become aromatic, add the onion and cook until the onion is softened. Then, continue to add your other ingredients as desired. When frying spices, it is extremely important to pay close attention to them. Even if a single spice burns, the whole batch will be tainted with that bitter, burned flavor. Stir the spices frequently and mind the heat.

How to perfectly season the baked chicken?

For this recipe of One-pot Baked Chicken and Jollof Rice, I use a whole chicken, but other part of the chicken can be used (like the thigh, leg or wing). You can never go wrong with my combination of spices (1/2 teaspoon paprika, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric, 1 tablespoon garlic, 1/2 teaspoon ginger, 1/2 teaspoon curry, 1 teaspoon bouillon cube, Salt and pepper) because you get maximum depth of flavor for minimum number of spices. Plus, I always have these spices on hand.

How did I partially cook it on the stove?

By partially cooking the One-pot Baked Chicken and Jollof Rice on the stove to first bring out the maximum flavor out of the spices and also allows me to bring the liquid to a boil before putting it in the oven. The flavor is so much better because of the fried onion.

One-pot oven Jollof rice
One-pot oven Jollof rice

Why add the chicken over the rice?

I added the perfectly seasoned chicken over the rice because the dripping of the chicken add so much more flavor to the rice. The result is a mouthwatering baked chicken coated in a beautiful rub, baked on top of fluffy soft rice. Oven Baked Chicken and Rice all cooked together in one dish is possibly one of the MOST loved family favorite dinners on the planet. I know in my heart of hearts this will become your new favorite.

How to make One-pot Baked Chicken and Jollof Rice

Ingredients

For chicken

  • 1 Chicken
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1 tablespoon garlic
  • 1/2 teaspoon ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon curry
  • 1 teaspoon bouillon cube
  • Salt and pepper

For Rice

  • 1 anise 
  • 2 allspice pepper
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 cinnamon 
  • 2 cloves
  • 4 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 small onion finely chopped
  • 2 tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoon tomato paste
  • Scotch bonnet chilli to taste (optional)
  • Vegetables: 1 eggplant, 1 zucchini, 1 Summer squash, 2 carrots 
  • 1 teaspoon bouillon cube
  • Salt and pepper
  • 400 g (14oz) rice
  • 925 ml (3.9 cups) warm water*

Instructions

Preheat oven to fan assisted 180C / 350F / gas 4.

Season the chicken with teaspoon paprika, turmeric, garlic, ginger, curry, bouillon cube, Salt and pepper and set aside.

Heat a frying pan with the oil over medium heat and add the anise, allspice pepper, bay leaf, cinnamon and cloves. Cook for a minute

Add and fry the onion for about 7 mins until soft.

Stir in the tomato purred and the tomato paste, cook for 5 minutes.

Add the water, vegetables (1 eggplant, 1 zucchini, 1 Summer squash, 2 carrots) and bring to a boil.

Mixing in the rice and mix until well.

Add a layer of aluminum foil and make small incisions. Add the chicken and cover (Make sure the cover is over safe) 

Transfer the Jollof rice mixture into the oven for about 20 minutes.

Remove from the oven stir and put back in the oven without the lid for 15-20 minutes or until the rice is soft and done.

When done take the rice out of the oven, fluff it and serve.

Serve hot

Tips to make perfect oven baked chicken and rice

  • For this recipe I recommend long jasmine rice. Basmati rice or Jasmine rice can be substituted with the same liquid ratio and cooking time. Please do not use short grain rice, medium grain rice, risotto, paella or minute rice.
  • If the rice cooks before the chicken, remove the rice from the oven, and transfer the chicken in an oven safe dish and put the chicken back in the oven.
  • For a better color on the chicken, it can be broiled for an extra 2-3 minutes just to get your chicken golden and browned with crisp edges, and an amazing buttery, crunchy crust on the top of your rice!
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Fufu

Fufu(foofoo, fufuo, foufou or foutou) is a staple food common in many countries in Africa such as Togo, Ghana, Liberia, Ivory Coast and Nigeria. Traditionally, the Fufu is made by boiling and pounding yam, cassava and green plantain. The water from the boil yam is used to adjust the viscosity of the fufu depending on personal preferences. These days, different types of flours are available on the market and can be used as substituted. Fufu is often served with groundnut soup, palm nut soup or light soup.


The traditional method is to boil starchy food crops like cassava, yams or plantains and cocoyams and then pound them into a dough-like consistency. Several machines can be used to easy up the process: the fufu machine, food processor and stand mixer.


The cassava is boiled tubers (cassava, yam or plaintain) are pounded together in a giant wooden mortar using a wooden pestle. In between blows from the pestle, the mixture is turned by hand and water gradually added till it becomes slurry and sticky. The mixture is then formed into a ball or a rounded slab and served. Fufu is eaten with the fingers, and a small ball of it can be dipped into an accompanying soup or sauce.

White Puna Yam
Water
NO salt

Peel the yam, rinse and cut into medium cubes.
Put in a pot, pour water to cover the pieces of yam and start cooking on medium heat.

Cook till the yams until the surrounding water will be cloudy and slightly soupy and it is very easy to drive a folk into the pieces of yam.
Separate the yam from the water.

Put the hot pieces of yam into the bowl of your stand mixer and using the beater attachment, whip the pieces of yam have the texture of flour grains. Let it cool down and switch to the dough attachment.

Kneed the yam with the dough attachment, until the dough is formed and smooth.

If you want the pounded yam softer, add some of the water from cooking the yam little by little until desired consistency.

Served the Fufu immediately after preparation because it becomes soft and loses its elasticity over time. Serve with your Fufusi, Goat meat stew, Egoussi soup, Okra soup, Ademe soup

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Introduction to Ivoirian Cuisine

Introduction to Ivoirian Cuisine

Ivoirian cuisine is a cuisine which originated from Ivory Coast and influence West African and international cuisine a great deal. Ivory Coast is a country located in West Africa, which borders Guinea and Liberia to the west, Burkina Faso and Mali to the north, Ghana to the east, and Atlantic Ocean to the south. In my opinion the more popular Ivoirian cuisine dishes are Attieke (cassava semolina), Alloco, and Kedjenou.

The Attieke (Attiéké or Akyeke) is the national dish of Ivory Coast. Attieke is made of fermented grated cassava with the consistency of couscous. The Attieke is sold as Garba or with palm oil, Alloco, braised chicken, braised fish, snail stew… There is also a variety of Attieke called Agbodjama which has a bigger size that the average couscous. On the other hand, the small size superfine Attieke is called Ayité. In the capital of Ivory Coast, Abidjan, Fast food places sell the attieke as Garba which is basically Attieke served with chopped onion, habanero pepper and fried tuna.

    

 

Alloco (aloko or aloco) is seasoned fried ripe plantain served as street food in Allocodrome.  Alloco is also serve in Togo (Amanda), Benin and Nigeria (dodo), Ghana (Kelewele) or Congo (Makemba). The Alloco can be served with fried fish, egg, suya, braised fish or braised chicken. Furthermore the Alloco can be served with tomato stew or puree of red peppers. To obtain the Alloco the ripe plantain (soft to touch) is sliced and fried with either palm oil or peanut oil until browned. While Apkessi is boiled plantain (or yam) accompany of the same sides.

  

Kedjenou is a very simple spicy and popular stew that is slow-cooked in a sealed clay pot or pressure cooker (in modern cuisine) over fire. I love Kedjenou because it is a one pot recipe. The recipe consist of meat (chicken, guinea hen, goat) seasoned with garlic, ginger, pepper and vegetables (tomato, onion and habanero pepper) slowly cooked. The seal pot allows the meat to cook in its own juices, which tenderizes the meat and concentrates the flavors of the ingredients. A variety of Kedjenou is Biékosseu, is a fish stew cooked in banana leaves, that originated from Akyé (Attié) also adopted in Ghana. The stew can be accompanied with Foutou (Also called foufou and fufu), boiled yam or Attieke.

Aller-Retour is a fried though stuffed with fish or ground meat in the shape of mini corndogs that originated from Ivory Coast. Equally delicious is another varity of Aller-Retour, Jaune-jaune, that has a yellow color and is accompanied by vermicelli. The “Aller-retour” is the perfect aperitif. This fried dough is succulent and irresistible donuts stuffed with tuna. The tuna can be replaced with meat or any other fish they will remain very pleasant to taste. “Aller-retour” means Round Trip. The name comes from the fact that when you eat the “Aller-retour”, it’s so good that you always come back looking for more!

The Ivoirian Fast food restaurants also sell skewers similar to Suya in Nigeria or Tchintchinga in Togo. Another variation of the skewer are Choukouya (l’étouffé de mouton) is barbecue lamb, mutton or beef, seasoned, braised and served with a side of crushed dried pepper.

Bread-skewers also called “Pain-chien” is one of the most popular streets foods of Abidjan! Every neighborhood, every area of the city knows its favorite seller. The fresh and crisp bread spread with ketchup, mayonnaise garnish salad and onion. Additionally, the classic kebabs (Suya), skewers of kidneys and liver can be used as meat.

Crécré (or kléklé) is an Ivoirian snack made all-purpose flour, sugar, yeast, vanilla, and salt, shaped like “Klui Klui” fried in oil.

Dêguê (degué) is a dessert served in Ivory Coast that originated from native to Mali. It is also served throughout the rest of West Africa. The dêguê is made with millet (or millet), yogurt, milk and sugar. The dèguê resembles couscous. The millet has a particular flavor and texture.

Gaou (niébé or akara is also in West Africa) It is a cookie made from beans, onion and salt, and fried in oil. In Ivory Coast, the Gaou is a very common street food; it is served with chili powder or spicy tomato sauce. It also called Kosai (Nigeria) or Koose (Ghana).

Gbofloto (Gbofroto, Botokoin, Puff puff, Mikate, bofrot, BHB, kala or togbei) is a dough based snack that is sold as street food in West Africa similar to donut. The Gbofloto is made with flour, yeast, sugar, salt and fried in vegetable oil until golden. A variety includes eggs and butter is optional. After frying, puff puffs can be rolled in sugar.

Agba-klaklo (called Agbeli-klaklo in Togo and ewe Ghana) are crispy fried seasoned cassava and served with slices of coconuts.

Akassa (called makoume in Togo and benin and Banku in Ghana) is fufu made with fermented corn. Equally delicious is the cassava version, Placali. Placali is a fermented cassava paste of Ivorian origin usually tasted with seed sauce, okra or kpala.

Klaklo / Krakro is a banana puff puff.

Pili-pili (Pateé or pastel) are small empanadas stuffed with ground meat cooked with vegatables.

Peanut Stew (Mafé) is a soup made from peanuts. It is a staple of Ivorian cuisine. It is often eaten with fufu (pounded yam) fufu, banku or kenkey.

Sauce Claire is a simple Ivorian tomato and eggplant stew served with foutou.

Riz gras (Jollof rice) derived from Thieboudienne and is a meat and rice based dish in West Africa. Riz gras is prepared with significant amounts of meat and vegetables. Additional ingredients used include eggplant, bell peppers, carrots, cabbage, onion, garlic, meat or vegetable stock, oil and salt.

Leaves Stew

Okra stew

kplala (ou kwlala)

Boule boule-coco: beignets au coco râpé

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Thiakry Couscous

Thiakry Couscous
The Thiakry (also called Degue, Chakery or Chakri) is a Senegalese dessert made with millet. This Thiakry couscous is a variable of that recipe. To be honest, I prefer the Thiakry couscous to the original Thiakry recipe.
For this recipe, I used an Original Plain Pearled Couscous. The grain of Pearled Couscous is bigger than the average couscous grain. The Thiakry couscous is consumed cold, as a dessert with sugar and ice. The couscous can be cooked with steam in a couscoussier but I chose a quicker way. I poured boiling water on the couscous, covered and made sure it was completely sealed. I let the couscous absorb all the water and warmed in the microwave for 10 mins until the couscous is fluffy and light.

The Thiakry Couscous consists of a quarter of sour cream, crème Fraiche plain yogurt and aromas like vanilla, cinnamon or nutmeg. I usually make my own plain yogurt. To make yogurt, I heat the milk is first heated, usually to about 85 °C (185 °F), allows the milk is allowed to cool to about 45 °C (113 °F) and mix it with plain yogurt. I keep it in a warm place for 4 to 12 hours to allow fermentation to occur.

  • 1 cup of couscous (For this recipe I used “Plain Beaded Couscous”)
  • 2 tablespoons of sugar
  • 2 cups of yogurt
  • 3 cups of milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (and nutmeg)

Add enough warm water to the couscous to cover the grains. Let the couscous absorb the water and put in the microwave for 3 min. When the grains are cooking, let cool.

As soon as the couscous is cold add the yoghurt, milk, sugar, vanilla extract and the nutmeg.

Mix well, chill and serve cold.

Click on the link for other Thiakry recipes “Yogurt Dèguè with rum raisin”, “Degue Milk”, “Yogurt Dèguè”. I think in the future, I am going to try to add other fruits like pineapples, dry cranberry… or dry apricot. This basic Thiakry Couscous recipe is simple and basic. It’s also a great vegetarian dessert.

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Powder Foufou recipe

Fufu (foofoo, fufuo, foufou or foutou)

The foufou (fufu or foutou) is usually obtained by pounding yam, cassava or boiled plantain. But I’m going to take a shortcut: the powdered foufou flour!

Fufu (Powder) is a white fermented carbohydrate food, produced from cassava, plantain, yam. Unlike the traditional product, which is in normally obtained in wet form and highly perishable, the mechanized product is presented in dried flour form. It’s a great substitute for the pounded fufu.

4 cups of fufu flour

6 cups of water, everything depends on the consistency you want

Boil 2 cups of water and add the mixture

Cook until the liquid turns into a paste.

Test: wet your hand and touch the dough … if it sticks to your fingers, cover and cook longer.

As soon as it is cooked remove from the heat and put in a ball.

Foufoui dessi or “sauce (white) of foufou”

1 chicken (1 onions, 6 cloves of garlic, 1 ginger teaspoon, 1 bouillon cube, 2 cloves, 2 allspice)

Smoked fish

Vegetables (okra, eggplant, tomatoes, green pepper)

Salt and pepper

Put in a large saucepan the chicken cut into pieces with enough water to cover the meat, the bouillon cube and the seasoning. Bring to a boil and keep on the heat for 20 to 30 minutes (depending on whether the chicken is more or less hard).

Cut the aubergines in 2, the tomato …

Add the eggplant and okra

Add 4 teaspoon of foufou

Once the meat, eggplant and okra cooked add the tomato, chilli,fish. Cook for 10 minutes and season to taste

Serve with foufou

Enjoy your meal !

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Recipe of braised Chimichurri Red snapper

Braised Chimichurri Red snapper

This colorful fresh, green and totally delicious chimichurri sauce doubles as a marinade and an accompaniment to steak, chicken and red snapper. This is a fun twist to braised red snapper. This recipe of braised red snapper is super tasty, traditional and incredibly easy to make. Chimichurri is garlicky sauce from Argentina. It’s flavorful and healthy!
The longer you season the meat, the tastier the red snapper. When stored properly in the refrigerator, the marinated fresh red snapper should be cooked within two days, up to three at most.

2 red snappers

½ cup finely chopped

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh oregano

4 garlic cloves, crushed

½ cup finely diced

1 small red chili pepper 

1 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup of oil 

Salt and pepper to taste

 

Marinate the red snapper and refrigerate and is best if used within 24-48 hours.

  

Prepare the grill (medium-high heat).

Grill the fish until just cooked through, about 10 minutes per side (depending on thickness and size of fish)

or Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake the red snapper until cooked through, about 45 minutes.

Serve hot

Tips:
It is a great idea to marinate the red snapper with the chimichurri the night before, or in the morning before you leave for work. Don’t know leave the marinated red snapper at room temperature for a long period of time. To cut down the clean use a re-sealable plastic bags, rather than in bowls or other containers. Also cover the marinated red snapper to avoid cross contamination. Never, use chimichurri marinade from raw red snapper as a sauce.

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Okra Soup (FétriDessi)

Okra Soup
Okra Soup (FetriDessi) is one of the most popular and easy-to-prepare West African soups. The setup takes a lot of time. The okra needs to be washed and grated; the leaves (Gboma or Ogbono) needs to be washed and cut them roughly. Subsequently prepare the meat, smoked or dried fish and shellfish. Once the setup is finished, cooking is fast.
The Okra Soup can be prepared with mutton, beef, chicken or pork. Here is the step by step to cook the meat. For fish, we can use smoked Mackerel, fried tilapia, douevi … for crustaceans, we can use crab, octopus, crayfish, shrimp …
Okra is a rich source of dietary fiber, minerals and vitamins, as well as a low-calorie vegetable. Known in most West African countries as Okro and French speaking countries as gumbo. I used red oil for recipe. You can also cook the okra with tomato sauce or cook the okra dry.
Serve hot Okra soup with Makoume, Ewokoume, Ougali (Ugali), Ablo (ou Ablo simplified), Kenkey (ou Kenkey simplified), gari or rice.

Fétri dessi (Okra Soup)

  • ½ lbs chopped goat
  • 1/4 lbs beef skin
  • To season the meat
  • 1/2 sliced onion
  • 1 tablespoon ginger
  • 2 tablespoon garlic
  • 1 cube
  • 1 Bay leave
  • Salt to taste
  • 2½ cups of freshly chopped Okra
  • 10 fresh shrimps
  • 2 fresh crabs
  • 1 piece of salted fish (Lanhounhoun)
  • 5 Douèvi
  • 2 chopped Habanero peppers
  • 1 cup of palm oil
  • 2 tsp dry grounded pepper or chili flakes
  • 2 cup meat stock
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 onion
  • 1 cube
  • Salt to taste
  1. Mix the meat and the spices and add enough water to cover the meat. Cook until the meat is tender. PS the beef skin may cook faster that the goat meat, remove it and set aside.
  2. Fry the goat meat
  3. Boil 2 cups of water in a saucepan. Add the baking soda.
  4. Then add the Okra, 1/2 onion + 1 piece of salted fish and the 1 cup meat stock.
  5. Mix together 1 cup meat stock with 1 tablespoon garlic, 1 tablespoon ginger, 1 tablespoon paprika and 1 cube.
  6. Add the shrimp, crabs and the seasoning mixture.
  7. Add the hot pepper, Douèvi , beef skin and the goat meat and stir well.
  8. Let the soup cook uncovered for about 5-10minutes. Check for seasonings and add the palm oil.

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Attiéké Steak Alloco

Attiéké Steak Alloco

3 Kg bone-in ribeye steaks, 1 1/2 to 2-inches thick

Kosher salt

1 tablespoon garlic salt

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon paprika

Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Season steaks with seasoning and let it rest for about 40 minute.

Place the steak on a small baking sheet and roast in the oven until an instant read thermometer inserted into its center registers 135 degrees F, about 1 hour.

 

1 ball of Attiéké

Salt 

Place Attiéké in a microwave-safe dish.

Add 1/2 cup of water and salt to Attiéké.

Allow the semolina to absorb all the water.

Microwave for 5 minutes (repeat by adding 1/4 of water until desired consistency)

Ripe plantains

Salt 

Peeled and cut diagonally or round, into 1/4-inch-thick slices

Add salt to the plantain 

Add oil into a nonstick skillet and place it on medium heat.

When the oil begins to shimmer but not smoke, add plantains (work in batches) and fry for 1 1/2 minutes on one side, flip and cook for 1 minute on the other side.

Remove plantains from pan and drain on paper towels.

Continue frying in batches until all the plantains are fried.

Simple, fast, easy, yummy!

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Attiéké & Fried chicken

AttiékéAttiéké & Fried chicken

 

1 ball of Attiéké

1 or 2 large tomatoes

1 big onion

Salt to taste

1 cube Maggi (optional)

African pepper (optional)

Oil

Some water

Place Attiéké in a microwave-safe dish.

Add 1/2 cup of water and salt to Attiéké.

Allow the semolina to absorb all the water.

Microwave for 5 minutes (repeat by adding 1/4 of water until desired consistency)

Fried chicken

8 pieces of chicken with skin (wing or thigh)

240 ml vinegar (1 cup)

2 egg

250 g flour (2 cups)

2 teaspoons black pepper

3 teaspoons of salt

4 teaspoons of garlic powder

4 teaspoons of onion powder

1 teaspoon of paprika

Mix the vinegar with a liter of water and salt. Add the chicken and let rest for an hour.

Drain all the water

Beat the eggs 

In a large bowl, put the flour

Add salt and pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and paprika

Mix well

Dip the piece of chicken in the mixture with the egg

Roll it well in the flour so that it is well covered everywhere

Tap it to remove the excess

Repeat the soaking in the egg and then in the flour

Fry 12 to 15 minutes depending on the size of the pieces

Once a beautiful golden color is obtained, it’s perfect

Cut the fresh tomato, the African pepper, the fresh onion into thin cubes.

On a medium heat , in a saucepan, heat the oil and add the onion.Cook for 10 mins

Add tomatoes, cube taste and add salt if necessary.

Serve Attieke with the tomato mixture and the fish

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Okra Soup

Okra Soup

1 small onion

2 tomatoes

2 hot pepper

1 cup palm oil

Cooked Assorted meat, crab, shrimp and fish – I used a combination of turkey, crab, prawns 

6 cups chopped okra

6 cups meat stock or water

Blended seasoning (1 Onions, 1 clove, 1 allspice whole, 1 cloves of garlic, 1 tablespoon ginger, 1 cube )

1 lahoin (Salted fish)

Pinch of baking soda

 

In a large pot on medium heat, add in palm oil. Add onion and the tomato. Add the blended seasoning, lahoin and cook for 2 mins

 

Add in meat stock and precooked meat. Stir. Taste and adjust for salt and maggi. Simmer covered for 4 minutes.

Stir in chopped okra, Pinch of baking soda and cook for 10 min mins. 

Add the hot pepper and cook for another 3 minutes. Remove from heat immediately.

Serve with Akoumè