A Senagalese dish that combines history and culture in a single pot
By Jessica Wolfrom | Photography by Jennifer Chase | Published in our Fall 2019 Issue
Although Senegal draws culinary influences from all over the world, one of its most famous dishes, yassa poulet, also called yassa chicken, is an example of how history and culture can blend together in a single pot.
Yassa Poulet hails from Senegal’s Casamance region, which runs along the Gambia river in the south of Senegal, but draws many culinary influences from the French who occupied Senegal from 1659 until as recently as 1960.
“In Senegal, cooking is a celebration of how we have gloriously melded the old with the new, the native with the global,” said Pierre Thiam, renowned chef and cookbook author based in New York City.
In short, Yassa Poulet shows us how cooking is often a layering of ideas. And although its history is complex, it’s incredibly easy to make. We asked DC–based home chef Aimee M’Bye, a native of Senegal, to share the secrets of the traditional dish with Edible DC.
1 teaspoon pepper ½ cup fresh lemon juice and 1 sliced lemon
1 cup water
5 tablespoons oil (preferably peanut)
1 whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
½ teaspoon ginger
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 bay leaves
2 chicken bouillon cubes, dissolved in 1 cup of water
2 habanero peppers, seeded and sliced very thinly (wear gloves)
½ cup green olives, pitted and sliced
Combine the onions, garlic, salt and pepper, lemon juice, 1 cup water and 1 tablespoon of the oil. Add the chicken pieces, turn until coated. Cover and let marinate at least 2 hours in the refrigerator, preferably overnight.
Remove chicken from the marinade and grill or pan-fry until it is browned evenly on both sides. [Note: Instead of grilling the chicken, it can also be cooked in the oven at 400°F for 20 minutes, turning after 10 minutes.] Strain the onions from the marinade, and cook in a large saucepot for 5 minutes, until translucent. Add the remaining ingredients, including any juices collected from cooking the chicken, to the saucepot. Bring to a roiling boil, cover, reduce the heat and simmer for 60 minutes.
Chicken yassa, also known as poulet yassa, is a mildly spicy dish prepared with an abundance of onions. The onions are traditionally marinated in Dijon mustard, lemon juice, and herbs and spices such as cayenne pepper, parsley, and garlic then its cooked into a thick comforting stew with grilled or fried chicken.
The Turkic verb yasa-, which means "to govern; to create", was probably borrowed from Mongolian. In the earliest text in Mongolian, the Secret History of the Mongols, the word yassa seems to refer specificially to authoritative (military) decrees.
Iyasa (Yasa, Yassa) is a Bantu language spoken in Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea by the Iyasa and Ndowe coastal fishing peoples. It is also spoken by Pygmies, perhaps Babongo, in Gabon.
Yassah is a Hebrew name meaning “God is salvation” or “God will save.” It is often used as a given name for both boys and girls. Pronuncation yah-sah. Alternate Meaning A dance. Origin or Current Usage African.
Poulet fafa is most commonly used in pit barbecues. Chicken, potato, garlic, ginger, and onion are sauteed in a pan, then pineapple and spinach are added to create this traditional Tahitian dish.
Italian (southern, mainly Foggia): probably a nickname for a corpulent person from cassa 'trunk', 'crate', but it could also be a metonymic occupational name for a maker of such items.
Introduction: My name is Arline Emard IV, I am a cheerful, gorgeous, colorful, joyous, excited, super, inquisitive person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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