Chicken Yassa

Senegalese chicken in onion and lemon sauce

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup peanut oil (or any cooking oil)
• 1 pound chicken, cut into serving-sized pieces
• 2 onions, chopped
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/4 cup vinegar
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard (optional)
• 1 Tablespoon Maggi sauce (or Maggi cubes and water), or soy sauce
• (optional)
• 1 chile pepper, cleaned and finely chopped (optional)
• cayenne pepper, black pepper, and salt to taste
• 1/2 small cabbage, cut into chunks (optional)
• 1-2 carrots, cut into chunks (optional)

Directions

Combine the oil, lemon juice, mustard, Maggi sauce, vinegar, bay leaf, onions, garlic, chicken in a large bowl. Allow the chicken to marinate in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight.

Heat an oven to 400° F. Remove chicken from the marinade, and reserve the marinade. Bake the chicken in the oven until lightly browned (it will not be cooked through). Remove from the oven and set aside.

While chicken is browning, remove onions from marinade and sauté them in a large saucepan for a few minutes. Add remaining marinade and the optional vegetables and bring to a slow boil and cook at a boil for ten minutes. Cook the marinade into a sauce. Reduce heat.

Add chicken to the sauce, cover and simmer until chicken is done. Use a meat thermometer to check for doneness. Serve with rice or couscous.