A quick, easy, healthy variation on the classic Senegalese dish Chicken Yassa. 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 it's cooked into a thick comforting stew with grilled or fried chicken.
This dish originates in Senegal, however, yassa is now eaten in many West African countries and can also be prepared using other meats like lamb, beef, or fish in place of chicken. The caramelized onions in this dish provide a sweet, mildly spicy yet creamy sauce to spoon over your chicken.
The olives that are added to the dish give it a lightly earthy bitter taste that marries so well with the onions, mustard, and lemon juice. In regards to the spice level in this dish, how mild or spicy you want it is totally up to you. Some people include scotch bonnet peppers or add additional cayenne pepper to the yassa stew to give it an extra kick. This dish is typically served with white rice, however, it's just as pleasurable to have with other grains like quinoa, couscous, or bulgur wheat.
Other options include having it with regular, sweet potato, or a yam mash. The recipe I created is a quicker and healthier version of the traditional chicken yassa. Traditionally this is a one-pot dish where the chicken is first marinated in onions, lemon juice, and mustard for anywhere between 30 minutes to 1 hour.
The chicken is then taken out from the onion mixture, then pan or deep fried in some canola oil, while the marinated onions are cooked in a different pan, caramelized until golden before the fried chicken is added back in with the onions and all the flavors are perfectly combined together.
