IIf there’s anything that can ease my winter blues, it’s this soul-soothing chicken pot pie. I’ve long enjoyed creating fusions of West African and other cuisines, and today the combination of deeply flavored Senegalese chicken and Yassa-inspired filling in fluffy, buttery puff pastry is one of my all-time favorites. But, first, my opinion on these delicious Nigerian baked beans – Yes, Rero – Use canned beans for added convenience. Usually paired with ripe bananas, I use rich beans to fill it up Canoes (Banana Boats) with a fun twist inspired by Latin America.
Banana boats stuffed with cooked black beans (pictured above)
Dried prawns and red palm oil from West Africa, namely An integral part of our cooking (the latter is It should not be confused with industrial palm oils which lead to widespread deforestation), give theIt is a signature dish with umami and a unique earthy and sweet flavour.
Preparatory school 25 minutes
He cooks 1 hourp. 15 minutes
makes 6
For the base
2 400 grams plum tomatoes
4 long sweet red pepperspeeled and cut into pieces
1 scotch caprequired
5 garlic clovespeeler
½ onioncut into pieces
A piece of fresh ginger, 2½ cm thickpeeler
3 tablespoons tomato paste
For soup
180 ml red palm oil – You can find this in the international food aisle of major supermarkets and in African stores
2 onionspeeled and cut into slices
1 tablespoon Stock powder
1 ½ tablespoon ground smoked prawns – Look for it in Asian and African supermarkets
6 ripe bananas With large black spotspeeler
3 tablespoons melted butterOr ghee, olive or vegetable oil
1 pinch of salt
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon white pepper
2 400 grams can of black beansDrain and rinse
700 ml water
2 125 grams of skinless and boneless mackerel In oil or brinedrained
Fresh herbs (Coriander, thyme, parsley), for garnish (optional)
Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C) / 390°F / Gas 6. In a blender, blend all the soup base ingredients until smooth. In a large, deep frying pan, melt the palm oil over medium-high heat until it is hot enough that a piece of onion sizzles immediately.
Fry half the chopped onion with stock powder and a tablespoon of ground shrimp until wilted. Add the blended soup base, then cook, uncovered, for 10-15 minutes, until bubbly, reduced slightly and thickened.
Meanwhile, line a baking tray with parchment paper, and place a rack on top. Cover each peeled banana with 1/2 tablespoon of melted butter (or ghee or oil) and transfer to a rack. Sprinkle the bananas with salt and roast for 15-20 minutes, until the surface is golden brown.
During this time, add the thyme and white pepper to the soup mixture and reduce the heat to low-medium. In a medium saucepan with a lid, cook the beans and remaining chopped onion in 700ml of water over a medium-high heat for 10-15 minutes, until very tender. Drain and discard the onions, then set the beans aside.
Flip the bananas over and bake for another 15-20 minutes, until completely cooked and golden brown all over. Meanwhile, simmer the soup. It should be reduced and peeled at the edges as the oil separates. Add the mackerel into chunks, then add the cooked beans and mash them into the soup (you don’t want a paste). Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 tablespoon ground prawns.
Carefully open each banana, cutting it about 1 cm deep. Carefully lengthen and expand the pocket as needed, then stuff with the cooked beans a tablespoon at a time. Garnish with herbs if you like, and serve.
A pot pie inspired by Yasa’s chicken
Frankly, the caramelized onions, tart mustard and citrus notes, and briny olives harmoniously elevate the comfort of chicken in pastry.
Preparatory school 15 minutes
soak 2 hours+
He cooks 2 hoursp
serves 4-6
For marinade
5 garlic cloves, Peeled
A piece with a diameter of 2½ cm Fresh gingerpeeler
¼ medium sized onion
½ Scotch hoodrequired
1 teaspoon Stock powder
½ teaspoon white pepper
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon rock salt
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons Dijon Mustard
For pie
2 320 grams of ready-made puff pastry
500 grams Boneless, skinless chicken thighscut into pieces
5 tablespoons Vegetable oil
3 large onionsPeeled and sliced (about 580g)
2 teaspoons Brown sugar
1 teaspoon spices
Stock 100 ml
50 grams Green olives without seeds
1 egg
In a blender or food processor, pulse the garlic, ginger, onion and chili pepper, adding a little water if necessary to make a paste. Place the chicken in a bowl, add the chicken and the remaining marinade ingredients, stir until coated, then cover it, then place it in the refrigerator to marinate for at least two hours.
Put three tablespoons of vegetable oil in a deep frying pan over medium heat. Add the marinated chicken, then cover the pot and leave it on the fire for 15 minutes until it is cooked. Take the chicken out and leave it aside.
Heat the remaining two tablespoons of vegetable oil in the same pot, then add the chopped onions, cover and leave on medium heat for 15 minutes, until soft.
Remove the lid, add the brown sugar and spices, and increase the heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring regularly, for about 30 minutes until the mixture is dark brown and caramelized. If necessary, add drops of water to prevent burning.
Return the chicken to the pan, add the broth and olives, leave it on low heat for five to 10 minutes, then turn off the heat.
Grease a flat 22cm pie dish. Fold one sheet of pastry in half and gently stretch or roll it to cover the base and sides of the pie dish. Pour the chicken filling into the base and distribute it evenly. Fold the second pastry sheet in half and gently stretch or drape it over the pie plate. Seal the edges and remove any excess pastry. Beat the egg with 2 tablespoons of water, then spread a thin layer of the egg wash over the top of the pie.
Bake in the oven at 220°C (200°C)/425°F/Gas 7 for 1 hour, until deep golden brown. After 45 minutes, cover the pie with baking paper so it doesn’t brown too much.
Toyo Odetonde Food writer and supper club host
