Poulet à la Moambe

Poulet à la Moambe

The national dish of the two Congos: chicken braised low and slow in a thick, golden, tangy sauce made from palm fruit pulp, perfumed with onion, garlic and chilli. Traditionally served with white rice or boiled cassava.

Prep

20 min

Cook

75 min

Total

95 min

Serves

4 to 6

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •1.5 kg (3 to 3½ lb) bone-in chicken pieces (skin on), a mix of thighs, drumsticks and legs holds up best to braising
• •500 g (about 1 lb 2 oz) palm fruit pulp (moambe), sold frozen or in jars as 'palm fruit sauce base' or 'moambe'; do not substitute palm oil alone, the dish depends on the pulp
• •2 large yellow onions, finely chopped
• •6 cloves garlic, finely grated or crushed
• •1 to 2 fresh red chillies fresh red chilli, Scotch bonnet or bird's eye, finely chopped; leave seeds in for more heat
• •2 Tbsp tomato paste
• •1 tsp fine sea salt, plus more to taste
• •0.5 tsp (½ tsp) freshly ground black pepper
• •60 ml (¼ cup) neutral oil, palm oil if you have it; otherwise groundnut or sunflower
• •250 ml (about 1 cup) hot water or light chicken stock, as needed to cover
• •2 bay leaves bay leaves, optional but common
• •1 thumb (1-inch piece) fresh ginger, peeled and grated, optional but traditional

Steps

1. 1 Pat the chicken pieces dry and season all over with the salt and pepper.
2. 2 Heat the oil in a heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Working in batches so the chicken browns rather than steams, sear the pieces skin-side down for 4 to 5 minutes until deeply golden, then flip and brown the other side for 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
3. 3 Lower the heat to medium. Pour off all but about 2 tablespoons of fat, then add the chopped onions and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring often, for 7 to 10 minutes until soft and translucent.
4. 4 Add the garlic, chilli and ginger (if using) and cook for 1 minute until fragrant, then stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2 more minutes, pressing it into the onions so it darkens slightly.
5. 5 Add the palm fruit pulp and the bay leaves, stir well, and pour in just enough hot water or stock to come about two-thirds of the way up the chicken (roughly 250 ml / 1 cup). Bring to a simmer, scraping the bottom of the pot to lift any browned bits.
6. 6 Return the chicken and any juices to the pot, skin-side up so it stays above the sauce. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer gently for 40 to 50 minutes, turning the pieces once halfway through, until the chicken is cooked through and tender, the sauce has thickened and turned a deep reddish-orange, and the oil from the palm fruit has risen to the surface.
7. 7 Doneness check: the thickest part of a thigh should read 75°C / 165°F on an instant-read thermometer, and the meat should pull easily from the bone. If the sauce is thinner than you like, uncover and simmer for a final 5 to 10 minutes; if it is too thick, splash in a little more hot water.
8. 8 Taste and adjust salt and chilli. Fish out the bay leaves. Serve hot with fluffy white rice or boiled cassava, spooning the rich sauce generously over the chicken.