Poulet Yassa

[Deleted]

I would like to post the recipe of poulet yassa, but I am not sure of all of the ingredients. I have eaten it many times and it is a very nice change from all the fish. All I can do is copy what is on the internet, but I am not sure if I agree with the list.

Cut up a chicken and put in an oven pan with lemon juice. Make sure that all of the chicken gets some juice on it.

While the marinade is starting, add a big chopped onion, chopped parsley, salt, pepper, laurier (bay?) leaves and crushed red pepper. Pour 20 cl of oil over everything.

After an hour, remove the chicken parts and grill them on charcoal (or if you can't do that, use an oven or a pan but it won't be the same of course) until they are half cooked.

Cook the lemon juice, onion and oil mixture until the onions are transparent and put the chicken back in. Add some chicken broth (Maggi cube if necessary) until everything is covered. Bake for 20 minutes. The golden color of the onions is the guide.

Serve on rice with chopped parsley and raw chopped onions.

I think some ingredients may be missing, but you probably have some ideas for completion.

[Deleted]

It looks to me like it is lacking turmeric or something. Any yassa I've eaten (not many times, I'll admit) has always been very yellow, but not the flavor or curry or saffron. But the recipe looks pretty good to me anyway, and I might give it a try. I always seem to eat the same old chicken.

[bixaorellana]

There are several recipes online, in French & in English. Every one of them calls for Dijon mustard, & quite a lot of it.

This one: jkmassonrecipes.blogspot.com/2007/06/poulet-yassa-tutorial.html does not marinate the chicken, but it cooks the onions slowly for such a long time that they'd be caramalized & golden, which would color the dish.

What I am wondering is this ~~ perhaps restaurants, not wanting to use too much expensive Dijon, at some point started substituting part cheap commercial mustard, which is bright yellow because of the turmeric in it? That would account for the color & no flavor of curry or saffron.

Does this seem reasonable to you guys?

[Deleted]

I don't think mustard is used in West Africa, so it certainly wouldn't be in an authentic recipe. It is clearly replacing some African item that is not readily available elsewhere.

[Deleted]

I asked some of the women at school and they said they put curcuma (turmeric) sometimes but that it is not necessary. Everybody agrees that (this is sad) nobody uses real spices much anymore but just a bouillon cube. They say this is true even more in the villages than the cities where the women have a little more time and more choice at the market.

[bixaorellana]

Maybe that's how the mustard sneaked into some recipes -- there may be or have been versions that used turmeric and/or mustard seeds, which mutated into putting in commercial mustard.

That is sad about the use of real spices being abandoned. In another generation, the traditional family recipes will all be convenience foods.

[Deleted]

I would imagine that in the past when you have spent many hours pounding spices with a mortar and pestel, the arrival of bouillon cubes must seem like pure magic.