West African Sunshine Dishes: Toyo Odetunde’s Chicken Yassa Pot Pie And Stuffed Plantain Boats – Recipes

If there’s thing that tin assuage my wintertime blues, it’s a soul-soothing chickenhearted pie. I’ve agelong enjoyed innovating fusions betwixt westbound African and different cuisines, and today’s matrimony of a profoundly flavourful Senegalese chickenhearted yassa-inspired filling successful buttery, flaky puff pastry is 1 of my all-time favourites. But, first, my return connected hearty Nigerian stewed beans – ewa riro – utilizing tinned beans for added convenience. Typically paired pinch ripe plantain, I usage nan rich | beans to capable canoas (plantain boats) successful a playful, Latin American-inspired twist.

Plantain boats stuffed pinch stewed black-eyed beans (pictured top)

Dried prawns and westbound African reddish thenar oil, which are integral to our cooking (and nan second is not to beryllium confused pinch those business thenar oils that are driving wide deforestation), give this crockery its signature umami and uniquely earthy and subtly saccharine flavour.

Prep 25 min
Cook 1 hr 15 min
Makes 6

For nan base
2 400g tins plum tomatoes
4 agelong reddish saccharine peppers, deseeded and trim into chunks
1 scotch bonnet, deseeded
5 ail cloves, peeled
½ onion, trim into chunks
2½cm portion caller ginger, peeled
3 tbsp herb puree

For nan stew
180ml reddish thenar oil – you tin find this successful nan world nutrient aisle of larger supermarkets and successful African stores
2 onions, peeled and sliced
1 tbsp stock powder
1½ tbsp crushed smoked prawns – look for them successful Asian and African supermarkets
6 ripe plantains with ample achromatic patches, peeled
3 tbsp melted butter, aliases ghee, aliases olive/vegetable oil
1 pinch salt
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp achromatic pepper
2 400g tins black-eyed beans, drained and rinsed
700ml water
2 125g tins skinless and boneless mackerel in lipid aliases brine, drained
Fresh herbs (coriander, thyme, parsley), to garnish (optional)

Heat nan oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6. In a blender, blitz each nan ingredients for nan stew guidelines until smooth. In a large, heavy pan, melt nan thenar lipid connected a medium-high power until it’s basking capable that a portion of bulb sizzles immediately.

Fry half nan sliced bulb pinch nan banal powder and a tablespoonful of crushed prawns, until softened. Stir successful nan blended stew base, past navigator uncovered for 10-15 minutes, until bubbling, somewhat reduced and thickened.

Meanwhile, statement a baking tray pinch greaseproof insubstantial and put a rack connected top. Coat each peeled plantain pinch a half-tablespoon of melted food (or ghee aliases oil) and transportation to nan rack. Sprinkle nan plantains pinch brackish and roast for 15-20 minutes, until nan tops are aureate brown.

During this time, operation nan thyme and achromatic capsicum into nan stew operation and move down nan power to low-medium. In a mean cookware pinch a lid, navigator nan beans and nan remaining sliced bulb successful 700ml h2o connected a medium-high power for 10-15 minutes, until very soft. Drain, discard nan onion, past group nan beans aside.

Flip nan plantains and cook them for different 15-20 minutes, until cooked done and aureate brownish each over. Meanwhile, bring nan stew to a simmer; it should beryllium reduced and crusting astatine nan edges, pinch nan lipid separating. Add nan mackerel successful chunks, past operation successful nan cooked beans, mashing them into nan stew (you don’t want a paste). Sprinkle successful nan remaining half-tablespoon of crushed prawns.

Carefully divided unfastened each plantain, cutting into them astir 1cm deep. Carefully lengthen and widen nan pouch arsenic needed, past worldly pinch nan stewed beans a tablespoonful astatine a time. Garnish pinch herbs, if you like, and serve.

Chicken yassa-inspired cookware pie

Toyo Odetunde’s chickenhearted yassa-inspired cookware pie.

Treacly, caramelised onions, tart mustard and citrus, and briny olives harmoniously elevate nan nostalgic comfortableness of chickenhearted successful pastry.

Prep 15 min
Marinate 2hr+
Cook 2 hr
Serves 4-6

For nan marinade
5 ail cloves, peeled
2½cm portion fresh ginger, peeled
¼ medium-large onion
½ scotch bonnet, deseeded
1 tsp stock powder
½ tsp achromatic pepper
½ tsp achromatic pepper
1 tsp paprika
½ tsp stone salt
2 tbsp citrus juice
2 tbsp dijon mustard

For nan pie
2 320g sheets ready-made puff pastry
500g boneless, skinless chickenhearted thighs, trim into chunks
5 tbsp vegetable oil
3 ample onions, peeled and sliced (about 580g)
2 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp allspice
100ml stock
50g pitted greenish olives
1 egg

In a blender aliases nutrient processor, blitz nan garlic, ginger, bulb and chilli, adding a small h2o if needed to make a paste. Tip this into a bowl, adhd nan chickenhearted and nan remaining marinade ingredients, flip to coat, screen and put successful nan fridge to marinate for astatine slightest 2 hours.

Put 3 tablespoons of nan rootlike lipid successful a heavy cookware connected a medium-high heat. Add nan marinated chicken, screen pinch nan lid and time off to navigator for 15 minutes, until cooked through. Remove nan chickenhearted and group aside.

Heat nan remaining 2 tablespoons of rootlike lipid successful nan aforesaid pot, operation successful nan sliced onion, screen and navigator connected a low-medium power for 15 minutes, until soft.

Take disconnected nan lid, adhd nan brownish sweetener and allspice, and move up nan power to medium-high. Cook, stirring regularly, for astir 30 minutes, until nan operation is heavy brownish and caramelised; if request be, adhd splashes of h2o to extremity it burning.

Return nan chickenhearted to nan pan, move successful nan banal and olives, simmer connected low-medium for 5 to 10 minutes, past return disconnected nan heat.

Grease a 22cm shallow pastry dish. Fold 1 pastry expanse successful half and mildly agelong aliases rotation it to statement nan guidelines and sides of nan pastry dish. Spoon nan chickenhearted filling into nan guidelines and dispersed it retired evenly. Fold nan 2nd pastry expanse successful half and mildly agelong aliases rotation it to apical nan pastry dish. Seal nan edges, past trim disconnected immoderate excess pastry. Beat nan ovum pinch 2 tablespoons of water, past brushwood a bladed furniture of ovum lavation each complete nan apical of nan pie.

Bake astatine 220C (200C fan)/425F/gas 7 for an hour, until a heavy aureate brown. After 45 minutes, screen nan pastry pinch baking insubstantial to extremity it browning excessively much.

• Toyo Odetunde is simply a nutrient writer and supper nine host