| When you want to honor a special guest, invite him or her for yassa. Here's the Sénégalese way of preparing, serving and eating yassa. |
| Preparation 1-2 chickens, cut up everything, including the giblets 5-8 cups of white, long-grained rice 4-5 heads of garlic 8-10 lbs of onions, sliced 1 cup of red vinegar one-half cup of prepared mustard 2-3 fresh chili pepper and crushed dried peppers combined 1 tablespoon of black pepper 6 Maggi cubes three-quarter cup of lemon juice 1-2 tablespoons of soy sauce Oil for coating the pot, and for frying |
| Wash the chicken pieces and pat them dry. Separate the garlic into cloves and crush. In a large stew-pot, combine onions, garlic, vinegar, and spices. To this mixture, add the chicken pieces, stirring well. Let the chicken marinate for at least one hour. You may also cover and refrigerate it for several hours, or overnight. When you are ready to cook, remove the chicken from the marinade; and, grill, over charcoal, until done on both sides. Remove the onions from the marnade; brown them lightly in a little oil. To this, add the chicken and the marinade; simmer, adding salt, pepper, Maggi cubes to taste, until all is finished and ready to eat. Spread the cooked rice a couple of inches deep on a large platter. Remove chicken pieces from the sauce, and distribute evenly over the rice. Pour sauce over all. When the chicken and the rice is cool enough to handle, spread a cloth on the floor, and put a large serving tray in the center of it. Guests, having washed their hands, should remove their shoes and sit, or squat, around the tray. All guests take, from the platter, imaginary sections directly in front of them, just like pieces of a pie. It is generally impolite to reach into another person's section; although, the center of the platter is common to everyone. |
Eating To eat, gather a good amount of rice, chicken and sauce, form a ball against the side of the tray. Squeeze it with your fingers until it is compact, then pop it into your mouth. Bon Appetit! |
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