A grand, generous, colorful and well-sauced Cameroonian festive dish, where golden chicken meets sweet plantains and tender vegetables. This homemade version stays true to the spirit of Poulet DG while remaining approachable with easy-to-find ingredients in the United States.
Ingredients
- 800 g chicken pieces
- 4 pieces ripe plantains
- 3 pieces carrots
- 1 piece red bell pepper
- 1 piece green bell pepper
- 3 pieces tomatoes
- 2 pieces yellow onions
- 3 cloves garlic
- 20 g fresh ginger
- 500 ml frying oil
- 2 tbsp neutral cooking oil
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 250 ml water
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 leaf bay leaf
- to taste fresh chili or chili powder
- to taste fine salt
- to taste ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 0.25 bunches flat-leaf parsley
Method
- Thinly slice the onions, mince the garlic and ginger, and chop the tomatoes, carrots and bell peppers; everything must be ready before heating, as the sauce builds quickly once the chicken is browned.
- Season the chicken with salt and pepper, then brown it in a large sauté pan with the cooking oil over medium-high heat until the skin and edges take on a deep amber color, about 8 to 10 min. Set the chicken aside without washing the sauté pan.
- Peel the plantains, cut them into thick rounds, then fry them in the hot oil until golden on the outside and tender in the center, about 4 to 6 min per batch. Drain them on paper towels and set aside.
- In the chicken's sauté pan, cook the onions until they become translucent and begin to stick slightly to the bottom, about 6 to 8 min. Add the garlic, ginger, paprika, thyme, bay leaf and tomato paste, then stir until you get a dark red, fragrant paste.
- Add the tomatoes and cook, mashing gently with a spoon, until they release their juices and reduce into a thick sauce, about 10 min. The mixture should lose its raw tomato smell and become glossy.
- Return the chicken to the sauté pan, moisten with the water, partially cover and simmer over low heat until the meat is cooked through and the sauce coats the back of a spoon, about 25 to 30 min. Stir occasionally to prevent the tomato base from sticking.
- Add the carrots, then continue cooking until tender but still slightly firm to the bite, about 10 min. Then add the bell peppers so they remain colorful and supple, without falling apart.
- Gently fold in the fried plantains at the end of cooking to coat them in the sauce without mashing them. Adjust the seasoning with salt, pepper, chili and lemon juice, then serve hot, sprinkled with parsley, with a generous, glossy sauce.
Nutrition
Per serving
- Energy
- 517 kcal
- Protein
- 48.7 g
- Carbohydrate
- 10.39 g
- Fat
- 31.08 g
- Fibre
- 3.57 g
- Calcium
- 43.18 mg
- Iron
- 2.23 mg
- Magnesium
- 17.9 mg
