La Sauce Tomate (with Chicken)
This recipe has to be once of my favorites to eat as I grew up. It is very popular in Nigeria, which is where my dad is from. I remember my grandma making this dish and adding some okra to it and we would eat it either with Placali (a side dish made from starches) or with rice. I preferred mine with rice and never ate the okra that usually accompanied the traditional dish. I have issues with textures. I feel so honored to get to share this recipe with you all. It doesn't require a lot of ingredients but when cooked right, has the most amazing flavor. I have to disclaim (well i WANT to disclaim) that I have adapted this recipe to the MY style. Here's how I make it.
You'll need:
4 Large Tomatoes
4 Cloves of Garlic
1 Large Onion
3 Tbsp of Tomato Paste
1/8 Cup of Oil
1 Tbsp of Dry Basil
1 Bay Leaf
1-2 Pinches of Hot Red Pepper
1 Tbsp Dry Oregano
Salt & Pepper to taste
4 Chicken drums (or thighs)
Chop the onions, tomatoes, and garlic into big chunks. Then, in a food processor, combine all the chopped vegetables and blend until you get a smooth consistency of a sauce (about 5 mins).
In a sauce pan, heat the oil and add the pieces of chicken. Fry until you get a good sear on the outside, then remove and set aside in a bowl to rest.
Now add the tomato from the food processor. Be careful as the oil is hot at this point and may splatter when the sauce is added. Proceed to add the tomato paste to the mixture. Cook on high, while stirring constantly, for 2-3 mins. You want about 1/4 of the water from the vegetables to evaporate.
Then you can add the seasonings. Don't be afraid to add 1 or 2 spices of your choice to make this your way. Then reduce the heat to a low-medium setting, cover, and let cook for about 20mins (stirring every 5mins or so).
After those initial 20mins, add the chicken you've previously seared, set the heat to medium, and cook until the chicken's cooked.
Serve with some white rice and you're all done!
(Don't eat the bay leaf)
No comments:
Post a Comment