Yassa

Story

Yassa originates from the Casamance region in southern Senegal, a lush, river-threaded area bordered by Gambia, where the dish is called yassa ganaar in Wolof, meaning chicken yassa. The word yassa refers not to an ingredient but to the cooking method: marinating then stewing over low heat. Although the technique is rooted in Wolof home cooking, the Dijon mustard that defines modern yassa reflects the long French colonial presence in Senegal, which lasted from 1659 to 1960, making this one of West Africa's most vivid examples of culinary fusion on African terms.

Ingredients

• 1.5 kg bone-in, skin-on chicken legs and thighs
• 4 large onions, thinly sliced
• Juice of 2 lemons, plus 1 lemon sliced into rounds
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Scotch bonnet or habanero pepper, left whole
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
• 60 ml groundnut or vegetable oil
• 250 ml chicken stock or water
• 1 chicken bouillon cube (optional)

Method

• 1. Combine the chicken pieces with the lemon juice, half the sliced onions, garlic, mustard, black pepper, and salt in a large bowl. Mix to coat thoroughly, cover, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
• 2. Remove the chicken from the marinade and pat dry. Reserve the marinade and onions separately.
• 3. Heat the oil in a heavy-based pan over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken pieces for 5 to 6 minutes per side until golden. Set aside.
• 4. In the same pan, reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the remaining fresh sliced onions and cook, stirring regularly, for 20 to 25 minutes until deeply caramelised and golden.
• 5. Add the reserved marinade onions to the pan and cook for a further 2 minutes.
• 6. Return the chicken to the pan. Add the stock, bay leaf, whole Scotch bonnet pepper, and lemon rounds. Stir to combine.
• 7. Cover and simmer over low heat for 28 to 30 minutes, turning the chicken once halfway through, until the meat is cooked through and the sauce is rich and slightly reduced.
• 8. Remove the bay leaf and whole pepper before serving. Adjust seasoning to taste.
• 9. Serve hot over steamed white rice, spooning the caramelised onion sauce generously over the top.

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