Poulet Yassa (Senegalese Chicken with Lemon and Onions)

Ingredients

• 1000 g bone-in chicken thighs
• 4 large onions
• 3 lemons
• 3 tbsp dijon mustard
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 scotch bonnet chilli
• 1 chicken stock cube
• 2 bay leaves
• 60 g green olives
• 4 tbsp vegetable oil
• 300 g long-grain rice

Method

1. 1

   Mix the juice of the lemons with the mustard, crushed garlic, 2 tbsp vegetable oil and the crumbled stock cube. Add the thinly sliced onions and the chicken thighs, turn to coat and leave for at least 30 minutes (or overnight in the fridge).

2. 2

   Lift the chicken out of the marinade and pat dry. Heat the grill to high and grill the chicken skin-side up for 8-10 minutes until well browned (it finishes cooking in the sauce).

3. 3

   Drain the onions, keeping the marinade. Heat the remaining oil in a large pan over a medium heat and cook the onions for 15 minutes, stirring now and then, until soft and lightly golden.

4. 4

   Pour in the reserved marinade and 200ml water, add the bay leaves and the scotch bonnet pierced once with a knife, then nestle in the chicken. Cover and simmer for 25 minutes until no pink remains near the bone and the juices run clear. Add the olives for the last 5 minutes.

5. 5

   Meanwhile, rinse the rice and simmer it in 600ml lightly salted water, covered, for 12-15 minutes until tender and the water is absorbed.

6. 6

   Taste the sauce for salt and lemon, remove the scotch bonnet and bay leaves, and serve the chicken and onion sauce over the rice straight away. Cool any leftover rice quickly and refrigerate.