29: Yassa chicken on Coconut Rice!

Published by Emily,


It don't get more ethnic than this, folks! I recently purchased a nifty cookbook called 'The Flavour Principle' by an amazing duo of Globe and Mail contributors. There are a slew of easy, delicious looking recipes from several different cultures. Most of the ingredients listed in the book are also pantry staples, which makes for quicker, more enjoyable grocery store trips. But it gets better. Lucy Waverman’s partner in crime, Beppi Crosariol, finishes off each recipe with a complementary wine pairing. It’s certainly not your average cookbook!
After bookmarking several recipes, I somehow found myself shopping for a dish that I hadn’t bookmarked at all. I was impressed by the ‘Yassa Chicken’ photo during my first flip through, but I was really iffy about the ingredients list. The sauce, for one, included sweet potatoes - which I’m totally fine with - mustard… and olives. I’m not a picky eater by any means, but olives are definitely near the top of my least favourite foods list. As a kid, I used to hold my breath every time I walked past the olive bar at the grocery store. Apparently the trick for acquiring a taste for olives is to eat 7 of them in a row. But that’s a challenge I’ll save for prison or something.
Anyway, since the book focuses on flavours, I thought I’d try something surprising and trustingly follow Lucy Waverman’s recipe. I’ve never tried Senegalese food before, and didn’t really know what to expect. I also don’t know what possessed me to place the chicken on a bed of coconut rice - I’ve had coconut rice once my whole life. It was a strange day. No, I was not intoxicated with one of Beppi’s wine recommendations. But by some stroke of luck and magic, the flavours turned out amazing together! The chicken was an absolute HIT! I can’t wait to try some of the other recipes in the book.
On a side note, I’ve been taking some heat from people for the sporadic updates. I can’t apologize enough... but can promise that the blog is alive again. For reals this time. Our kitchen is finally complete and operational — so come hell or high water, there will be 52 dishes on this blog by the end of the year! Which is perfect, because I love fall and winter cooking.
Recipes
Coconut Rice
Ingredients
1 cup jasmine rice
1 cup coconut milk
1 cup water
Finely chopped cilantro or peanuts to garnish (optional)
Directions
Bring coconut milk and water to a boil.
Stir in rice and cover the pot.
Simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until rice is tender.

Yassa Chicken
Ingredients
1 tsp lemon zest
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp minced Thai red chilis
2 pounds of chicken thighs (skin on)

2 tbsp vegetable oil
5 cups diced red onions (about 3 onions)
2 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tsp lemon zest
1 1/2 cups chicken stock (or water)
1 1/2 cups diced sweet potato
1/2 cup pimento stuffed olives, cut into thirds
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
Directions
Prepare the marinade by mixing the first 4 ingredients in a large bowl. Add the chicken thighs, cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 425F once the chicken has been sufficiently marinaded.
Remove the chicken thighs from the marinade and pat dry before seasoning with black pepper and salt. Patting the chicken dry will help minimize splattering when searing the chicken.
Heat the 2 tbsp of vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken thighs in batches for about 2-3 minutes per side.
Transfer the chicken into a roasting pan and roast for about 30 minutes (uncovered) until the juices run clear.
Drain some of the oil in the skillet until about 1 tbsp remains. Return the skillet to medium-high heat and begin preparing the sauce while the chicken is roasting by first cooking the diced onions. Add a bit of salt to bring out the juices. Cook the onions for about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally until they slightly brown.
Add the mustard, lemon zest, and chicken broth and stir. Next, add the sweet potatoes and olives and bring the sauce to a boil for 1 minute.
Cover the skillet and reduce the heat to a low-medium setting. Allow the sauce to simmer for about 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
Drizzle the completed sauce over the chicken and coconut rice and enjoy!