:: Around the World for Dinner ::

A Taste of Senegal
:: Megann’s Kitchen ::

:: savouring the flavours of Senegal ::

I have recently made some incredible new friends in what is the magnificent & ever-growing RAAF family of mine. After a few dinners together, it was my new female companion, Jo, who suggested that we continue a tradition of theirs of having a meal planned based on countries around the World. A chance to try international flavours & interesting cuisine? I was IN! What an imaginary way to taste all the seasonings of the Earth in your own home? We were at their house for yet another incredible meal & Jo brought out her globe. Mick had the honours of spinning with one hand over his eyes & the other ready to point to a country. For the first 2 goes he hit water, which is null & void in this game, then success. He landed on the African continent in the country of Senegal! We all did some quick google research, picked some dishes to make & set a date.

As a starter, I made a nibbles plate with a Senegalese Garlic Dipping Sauce with toasted pita bread. This is basically a roasted garlic mayonnaise. It was a little strong & a touch boring on its own, but I can imagine making some homemade roasted chat potatoes (see recipe below) dusted with paprika & seasoning, this would complement the garlic sauce beautifully.

For the main, I finalised my thoughts on one of the national dishes of Senegal, Poulet Yassa (Yassa Chicken), which is comparable to a basic chicken stew. It was such a simple meat dish that I used one of the “optional extras” that was provided & added some chopped carrot & celery as an extender from the chicken & for extra flavour.

I also made Salade Cote Cap Verte, which is similar to a chopped green salad with the addition of flavourful herbs & the (untraditional) beautiful red jewels of pomegranate. I was extremely impressed by this salad, & plan to make it again! It looked marvellous against a white presentation dish & had amazing aromas. It would be a beautiful & exciting addition to any summer BBQ or festive table.

For dessert, Jo made a delicious crunchy peanut ice-cream, as peanuts are extremely popular & grown readily in this region. It was a lovely way to finish a fantastic evening with friends.

:: Senegalese Garlic Dipping Sauce ::

2 bulbs roasted garlic, peeled

2 organic eggs

250 ml fresh lemon juice

½ tsp sugar

100 ml to 400 ml grapeseed oil

½ tsp sea salt

fresh cracked pepper

To roast the garlic, Pre-heat your oven to 180°C (350°F). Peel the garlic from its skins & place into a bowl. Coat the garlic with a drizzling of olive oil & place onto a baking tray then bake for about 20-30 minutes, or until golden. Leave to cool.

Put all of the above ingredients, except the oil, in a blender or food processor & process until smooth. Pour in the oil in a very slow stream & blend or process until thick & aerated.

Serve as a dip for raw vegetables or toasted bread pita bread.

Kitchen Notes

:: As mentioned in the intro, I thought that this mayonnaise-like sauce would be just amazing with baked potatoes for a great starter, tapas or side dish. Parboil some whole chat potatoes, skin on, in water for about 10-15 minutes or until just soft. Strain the water away then transfer the hot potatoes into a hot baking dish. Crush the potatoes with the back of a spoon then season with sea salt, pepper & a sprinkle of sweet paprika. Drizzle with olive or grapeseed oil & bake in the oven for approximately 40 minutes, or until golden brown.

:: Poulet Yassa ::

:: my attempt at Yassa Chicken from Senegal ::

marinade

1 kg chicken pieces

200 ml lemon juice

60 ml malt vinegar

1 generous tsp brown sugar

30 ml peanut oil

3 brown onions, sliced

2 cloves fresh garlic, crushed

sauce

30 ml peanut oil

2 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped

2 fresh red chillies, seeds removed & chopped finely

2 tbsp freshly grated ginger

1 tsp ground turmeric

2 – 3 bay leaves (depending on size)

450 ml chicken stock

sea salt & pepper to taste

:: luscious lemons ::

:: chopping the onions ::

:: marinating the chicken ::

:: adding the vinegar ::

Mix the lemon juice, garlic, sugar, vinegar, sliced onions and 30 ml of the oil. Place the chicken pieces in a dish and pour over the lemon mixture. Cover with cling wrap & place in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.

Heat the other 30 ml of the oil in a large pan. Lift out the chicken with tongs & seal the chicken pieces for 4 to 5 minutes until they are golden brown.

Lift out the remainder of the leftover marinated onions with tongs & add to the chicken, cook for 3 minutes & then add the marinade liquid, thyme, chillies, turmeric, ginger, bay leaves, sea salt & pepper & half of the chicken stock. Stir once or twice to mix everything well.

Reduce the heat, cover the pan and simmer for about 30 minutes until the chicken is cooked, adding more stock as the sauce evaporates so it doesn’t burn on the bottom.

Serve over long grain rice.

:: this delicious meat just fell off the bone ::

Kitchen Variations

:: Poisson Yassa: Substitute 1 kilogram of firm fish fillets for the chicken. Marinating time only needs to be 30 minutes in this case. Grill the fish and sauté the onions. Then simmer the marinade without the fish for 10-15 minutes. Finally, add the marinated grilled fish and simmer for 10 minutes more.

:: Sometimes vegetables are added to the pot to stretch the meat & add more flavour. Add 2-3 chopped carrots, 1 finely diced celery stick or a handful of green olives when you bring the marinade to simmer.

:: I cooked my chicken for an hour in order for the sauce to develop to a thicker consistency. Unfortunately this caused it all fall off the bone, but it was still juicy & tender. Be careful not to be too heavy handed first off with the stock as I did, & add it gradually!

:: Salade Cote Cap Verte::

:: salade cote cap verte with pomegranate ::

250 ml English cucumber, diced

1 small iceberg lettuce, sliced

4 large tomatoes, diced

1 green chilli, finely chopped

150 ml fresh mint, chopped

250 ml Italian parsley, chopped

200 ml chopped fresh coriander leaves

½ red onion, finely sliced

1 large, un-waxed lemon, grated zest and juice

150 ml pomegranate seeds (optional and not traditional)

5 – 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Salt to taste

In a large mixing bowl, combine all the above ingredients well by tossing with your fingertips. Check and correct seasoning then refrigerate for 1 hour.

Present in a salad bowl & scatter pomegranate seeds on top and garnish with a little extra chopped parsley.

:: a great salad for any occasion ::

Kitchen Notes

:: I have seen Jamie Oliver simply cut a pomegranate in half, place the fruit in his hand with the seeded side peeking through his open fingers. He forcefully taps it with the back of a kitchen knife & the seeds fall through his fingers & into the dish. Now, I admit that this is a messy way to vacate the seeds from the fruit, but effective!

:: Side Bread ::

:: crunchy bread for the table ::

Tear 1 large pita bread into pieces and toast under the grill.

:: Senegalese Peanut Ice-Cream ::

500g container of good quality vanilla ice-cream, softened

¾ cup of salt reduced crunchy peanut butter, warmed

Place the softened vanilla ice-cream in a large bowl & mix through the peanut butter to make ribbon like swirls. Add a little or as much peanut butter for flavouring as you like, it is up to your own taste really! Scoop back into the original ice-cream container & freeze until required!

Kitchen Notes

:: I would imagine that a silky smooth chocolate sauce would be amazing drizzled over the peanut ice-cream, reminiscent of a Reeces peanut butter cup! You could also try a salted caramel. Serve with freshly roasted chopped peanuts on top, mmmmmmm….

:: I had great fun finding bright decorations for the table as well! ::

Sources

:: Some great Senegalese Dinner info at- http://www.africa.upenn.edu/Cookbook/Senegal.html

:: I also stumbled on another great blog with a Senegalese dinner where I go a few great ideas & recipes- http://www.justfoodnow.com/2010/01/13/african-spirit-food-of-senegal/

We had such a fantastic evening of new flavours that we decided to do it again! Spinning the globe and next stop on our World tour is..... Portugal! For more dinner pics, follow on to my Facebook page. Thank you ever so much for joining us.

:: Roast Chicken Bliss ::

Lemon & Prosciutto Roast Chicken

:: Megann's Kitchen ::

:: succulent roast chicken straight out of the oven ::

There are a few things that a succulent chicken match perfectly with & prosciutto, lemon & fresh garden herbs is just one perfect combination, so when I saw this on a Jamie Oliver series I knew the flavours would be incredible. I franticly scrambled for a pen & paper & wrote down what I could remember of the delicious looking dish.
Now, I can tell you this is a great one for any occasion from a delightful meal with the family (such as upcoming fathers' day!) to entertaining special guests who fancy roast poultry. My husband just can't get enough of the crunchy baked prosciutto, picking the bottom of the baking pan for the more tastey roasted peices.
When my friends called in for an impromptu dinner on short notice one time, I happened to have one of these free range chickens already in the oven. All I had to do was peel a few more root vegetables. "Wow, I thought we would get take-away.... but this is so much better!" they said serving seconds, and as you know, this is a true compliment to any home cook.
To enhance this dish I try to replicate my godmother's crunchy roast potatoes, dutch carrots, pumpkin & greens of some variety.
I have been asked for this recipe a number of times, so this is for my friends, oh, & for Jamie.

1.5 kg (3 lb) organic chicken
1 large lemon

110 grams softened butter
8 slices prosciutto, roughly chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
3 Tbs fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped
1 Tbs fresh oregano leaves, finely chopped
Sea Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 kg potatoes & root vegetables to roast, cleaned and cut into chunks
   (options: pumpkin, sweet potato, dutch carrots, celeriac, shallots)

:: lifting the chicken skin from the meat ::

Take your chicken out of refrigeration 30 minutes prior to preparation. Preheat the oven to 200°C (395°F). Prepare a roasting tray with baking paper (vegetables) & a roasting pan (chicken) & place both in the oven to preheat. Wash your chicken inside and out and pat dry with paper towel. Using your fingers, part the breast skin from the breast meat. It's important to try to push your hand gently down the breast, being careful not to rip the skin. Zest your lemon with a microplane zester into a bowl. Cut your naked lemon in half & set aside. Chop the prosciutto & add to the bowl with the lemon zest, softened butter, garlic and fresh herbs. Season with sea salt & pepper and mix the butter mixture well. Push this into the space you have made between the meat and the skin, keep a little aside & rub over the wings of the bird. Slash the thigh of the chicken once (twice for a big bird) & rub that butter goodness into it. This will help with flavour penetration & cooking time. Push the lemon halves into the cavity of the chicken. I tie the legs together with kitchen string for presentation, but this is not critical. Place the chicken into your prepared hot roasting pan and roast in the preheated oven for 60 minutes. Cover with foil & leave to rest for 10-30 minutes as this give the juices in the chicken time to settle, your vegetables time to turn golden & you time to prepare to sit down at the dinner table.

:: combining the butter mixture ::

:: slathering the butter mixture all over the chicken ::

While the chicken is cooking, parboil peeled potatoes in salted water for 10 minutes & drain, placing back into the pot. Season & place lid onto the pot & shake the potatoes vigorously, giving them a floury coating. Liberally cover with olive oil & give one last shake & place onto a tray with baking paper. Cut the pumpkin & other desired vegetables into irregular chunks around the same size as the potatoes & add them to the pot that you used to shake the potatoes. Give a touch up of seasoning & olive oil, shake & place on your tray with the potatoes. Bake in the oven for 40 minutes.

:: baking in the roasting tray with vegetables ::

If you prefer roasting your vegetables all together, when the chicken reaches the 20 minute mark, by which time the butter mixture will have melted through & cooked out of the chicken & settled into the bottom of the tray, giving your chicken incredible flavour. Remove the chicken & add your seasoned, un-oiled potatoes & other hard root vegetables. Toss and coat the vegetables in the butter & juices from the bottom of the pan. Place the chicken back on top of the vegetables & continue to cook for another 40 minutes.

:: cutting the chicken, a beautifully moist breast ::

Kitchen Notes
:: Roasting a whole chicken on the bone will take approximately 20 minutes for every 500g of weight at 200°C (395°F).
:: If any herbs are unavailable, sage also goes beautifully with this dish.
:: Jamie's top tip is to place his lemons in the microwave for 40 seconds to bring out the flavour, but I have found because I have removed the rind it seeps into the chicken regardless. This, however, is a fantastic method for adding extra lemon punch if you prefer a more citrus flavour.
:: This chicken also makes fantastic leftovers. We love to eat it cold with a fresh salad or in a fresh bun for lunches. It doesn't last long in our household!

:: scattered with cress from the garden for garnish ::

Free Range
Of course, like many, I have become an advocate for free range & local products when they are available to me. It is rare when I cannot find a free range whole chicken these days, so when possible it goes into my shopping cart. The price you pay for change and for better treatment of animals is actually very little, and the movement to eliminate "battery hens" & for better care starts with one person & that person can be you.
FREPA Certified Free Range Egg & Poultry Australia, follow this link.