Benin- Couscous Azindessi

I finally got around to preparing another foreign dish, this time from Africa. Benin is in Western African, on the northern coast of the Gulf of Guinea. Benin was colonized by the French, thus there is a strong French influence present in the cuisine. Beninese cuisine often incorporates rice, beans, and yams. Proteins usually consist of chicken or fish, but because Benin is one of the poorest countries in the world, meat is only consumed on special occasions. However, due to the climate (near the equator), there is a plethora of vegetation. Thus, many dishes are vegetarian.

Benin also has two distinct regions: the north and the south. The cuisine differs between these two regions with the corn being a staple in the south. Sauces usually incorporate peanuts or are tomato based, and the main proteins are chicken and fish. Meat is often fried in peanut oil, and it is accompanied by vegetables, rice, beans, or couscous.

Conversely, yams are the staple ingredient in the northern region. They are also usually served with peanut or tomato-based sauces. However, beef or pork are the preferred meats, but they are also often fried in peanut oil. Cheese is often incorporated, and rice, beans, or couscous often accompany these dishes.

The dish I made was from the southern region of Benin, using chicken fried in peanut oil with a peanut and tomato sauce with couscous. I was a bit skeptical of this combination of ingredients: chicken, peanut butter, and tomatoes. It turned out to be delicious, though. We were able to use chicken that we bought at our local farmers market along with produce we purchased there as well.  The sauce was thick and hearty, so I can definitely see how they can live on diets lighter in meat, with dishes like this. Again, Chris offers us his photography (thanks 🙂 ). I would definitely recommend this dish as a way to change up the often bland chicken dinner, but it’s probably not my favorite summer recipe.

Couscous Azindessi

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Ingredients

• 3 cloves of garlic- minced                                                                     
• 1 chicken bouillon cube- crushed                                                                     
• 1/2 tsp. ground ginger                                                                     
• 1/4 tsp. pepper                                                                     
• 1 lb. chicken legs and thighs                                                                     
• 1 large tomato- peeled, seeded, and coarsely chopped 
• 1 medium onion- chopped                                                                     
• 2 1/3 cups chicken broth                                                                     
• 3 tbsp. peanut oil                                                                     
• 1 tbsp. tomato paste with roasted garlic                          
• 4 tbsp. smooth peanut butter                            
• 1 tsp. salt                                                                     
• 1 cup couscous                                                                     
• 1/2 cup (about 4 oz.) salted, dry-roasted peanuts- crushed                             
• 4 green onions- thinly sliced (for garnish)                                                                     

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Instructions

1. In a small bowl, mix the garlic, bouillon cube, ginger, and pepper
2. Coat the chicken with the mixture, and set aside
3. In a blender, combine tomato, onion, and 1 cup of chicken broth. Blend until fairly smooth and set aside
4. Warm 2 tbsp. of oil over medium-high heat in a heavy medium sized casserole
5. Cook the chicken, turning with tongs, until browned on all sides
6. Add the tomato mixture
7. Cook, covered, until the sauce comes to a low boil, about 5 minutes
8. Stir in the tomato paste and peanut butter
9. Reduce heat to medium and continue cooking, covered, until chicken is tender, about 40-45 minutes
10. Dilute the sauce with water or broth if it becomes too thick
11. Season the sauce with half of the salt
12. Heat the oven to 325 degrees
13. Pour the couscous into a 9×13 baking dish
14. In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the remaining 1 1/3 cups of broth, salt, and remaining oil to a boil
15. Pour over the couscous and stir once
16. Cover tightly with foil and bake until tender, about 12-15 minutes
17. Remove the couscous from the oven and fluff with a fork
18. Stir in the peanuts
19. Mound the couscous in the center of a warm, shallow serving platter and surround it with the chicken
20. Pour the peanut sauce on top and garnish with the onions

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