Kedjenou

Kedjenou (Ivorian slow-cooked chicken in a sealed clay pot)

Kedjenou is a classic dish from Côte d'Ivoire, traditionally cooked in a canari (clay pot) that is sealed with banana leaves or dough and left to gently cook over coals or on a stove, shaken every so often rather than stirred. The result is a deeply flavoured, tender stew of chicken with tomato, onion, pepper and ginger.

Prep

20 min

Cook

90 min

Total

110 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •1.5 kg (3¼ lb) whole chicken, cut into pieces, traditionally guinea fowl (pintade), bone-in for flavour
• •3 whole (3 medium) ripe tomatoes, grated, or 400 g canned crushed tomatoes
• •2 whole (2 medium) large onions, sliced
• •3 whole (3 medium) red bell peppers (or a mix of red and scotch bonnet), sliced, 1 scotch bonnet for heat if desired
• •30 g (1 oz) fresh ginger, grated
• •4 cloves garlic, minced
• •15 ml (1 tbsp) vegetable oil or palm oil, palm oil (huile de palme) is traditional and gives the colour
• •5 g (1 tsp) salt
• •2 g (½ tsp) black pepper, freshly ground
• •1 whole bay leaf, optional
• •60 ml (¼ cup) water or light stock, only if needed; the vegetables release their own juices

Steps

1. 1 Rinse the chicken pieces and pat them very dry. Season generously with salt, pepper, half the ginger and half the garlic. Let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes while you prep the vegetables.
2. 2 If using a clay pot (canari), soak it in cool water for 20 minutes so it does not crack when heated. Heat the oil in the pot over medium heat and sear the chicken pieces skin-side down until lightly browned, about 3 minutes per side. Work in batches so you do not crowd the pot. Remove and set aside.
3. 3 In the same pot, add the sliced onions and cook gently for 4-5 minutes until translucent. Add the remaining garlic and ginger and stir for 30 seconds until fragrant.
4. 4 Add the grated tomatoes, bell peppers (and scotch bonnet if using), bay leaf, and a pinch of salt. Cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes have reduced to a thick, jam-like sauce and the peppers have softened.
5. 5 Return the chicken pieces to the pot along with any juices. Add the water or stock only if the sauce looks very dry (you want some liquid, but not much). The vegetables should release enough moisture.
6. 6 Seal the pot: traditional kedjenou is sealed with a simple flour-and-water dough pressed around the rim of the lid, or covered with a tight layer of banana leaves. In a home kitchen, a heavy, tight-fitting lid works well. Place the lid on and reduce the heat to the lowest possible setting.
7. 7 Cook for 75-90 minutes, undisturbed other than occasionally grasping the pot with oven mitts and gently shaking or rocking it every 15 minutes to redistribute the contents. Do not open the lid. The chicken should befalling-off-the-bone tender and the sauce thick and glossy.
8. 8 Check doneness: the chicken is safely cooked when the juices run clear and the thickest part of the thigh reads at least 75°C / 165°F on an instant-read thermometer. The meat should pull easily from the bone.
9. 9 Break the seal (or remove the lid), taste and adjust salt. The scotch bonnet, if left whole, should be removed before serving. Serve hot with attiéké (cassava couscous), white rice or simple boiled yam.