1/4 cup peanut oil
8 chicken pieces, such as thighs, drumsticks, or breast, or a combination
2 tablespoons hot paprika
2 onions, sliced
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 hot bird's eye or other hot chilies, split twice lengthwise
1 cinnamon stick, halved (optional)
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 cup long grain rice
2 cups canned chopped tomatoes in juices
2 cups chicken stock
2 carrots, cut into 2-inch strips
8oz. ham, cut into 1/2-inch cubes, about 1 1/2 cup
2 cups fresh or frozen green peas
Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Coat the chicken in the paprika and saute in batches over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add the onions, garlic, chilies, cinnamon, allspice, turmeric, rice, tomatoes and their juice, chicken stock and carrots.
Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover the pot and cook undisturbed for 20 minutes.
Add the ham and peas and stir. Cover the pot again and summer for another 8 to 10 minutes or until the rice is fluffy and the liquid has absorbed.
Serve with wilted greens such as collard or cabbage. A more authentic service would include dasheen, gboma, or callallo.
So this dish was adapted from Chicken From Maryland to Kiev by Clare Ferguson. Must I say that I was truly disappointed. When I was at the store and I was looking through the cookbooks I came upon this recipe and that was the only reason I decided that I would buy it. I was not disappointed with the taste of it but because it truly was not what I had come to expect of Jollof Rice. Let me give you a little background on the situation. When I first moved out of my parents house my first roommate was from Gambia. When she made Jollof Rice I could not believe the taste that was in that dish. It was soooo good. It was way more rustic and authentic tasting. If this dish was called "Jollof Rice" then it was the bastard third cousin of what I ate when my old roommate was around. Now, the people who ate this thought it was excellent and I do also on some level but it just left me wanting what Nancy (my old roommate) would make for me. There were so many things that she introduced me to, food wise that were unbelievable but I dare try to make. So the bad thing about this dish was not the flavor or taste but the lack of remembrance of something that I so longed for since she moved away. I must say that the opening comments to this recipe state: "This is a famous, much-adapted, one-pan chicken-and-rice dish orginating in the kingdom of Jollof in West Africa." So, it could be that what I remembered was the bastard third cousin. The last time I had Jollof Rice was when my sister-in-law's mother made some one Thanksgiving and I think a ate the whole container because it was the closest thing I had to Jollof Rice since Nancy left. But for my fans that have never had what I would like to call Jollof Rice I say you will really enjoy this recipe. Try it out and tell me what you think.
8 chicken pieces, such as thighs, drumsticks, or breast, or a combination
2 tablespoons hot paprika
2 onions, sliced
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 hot bird's eye or other hot chilies, split twice lengthwise
1 cinnamon stick, halved (optional)
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 cup long grain rice
2 cups canned chopped tomatoes in juices
2 cups chicken stock
2 carrots, cut into 2-inch strips
8oz. ham, cut into 1/2-inch cubes, about 1 1/2 cup
2 cups fresh or frozen green peas
Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Coat the chicken in the paprika and saute in batches over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add the onions, garlic, chilies, cinnamon, allspice, turmeric, rice, tomatoes and their juice, chicken stock and carrots.
Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover the pot and cook undisturbed for 20 minutes.
Add the ham and peas and stir. Cover the pot again and summer for another 8 to 10 minutes or until the rice is fluffy and the liquid has absorbed.
Serve with wilted greens such as collard or cabbage. A more authentic service would include dasheen, gboma, or callallo.
So this dish was adapted from Chicken From Maryland to Kiev by Clare Ferguson. Must I say that I was truly disappointed. When I was at the store and I was looking through the cookbooks I came upon this recipe and that was the only reason I decided that I would buy it. I was not disappointed with the taste of it but because it truly was not what I had come to expect of Jollof Rice. Let me give you a little background on the situation. When I first moved out of my parents house my first roommate was from Gambia. When she made Jollof Rice I could not believe the taste that was in that dish. It was soooo good. It was way more rustic and authentic tasting. If this dish was called "Jollof Rice" then it was the bastard third cousin of what I ate when my old roommate was around. Now, the people who ate this thought it was excellent and I do also on some level but it just left me wanting what Nancy (my old roommate) would make for me. There were so many things that she introduced me to, food wise that were unbelievable but I dare try to make. So the bad thing about this dish was not the flavor or taste but the lack of remembrance of something that I so longed for since she moved away. I must say that the opening comments to this recipe state: "This is a famous, much-adapted, one-pan chicken-and-rice dish orginating in the kingdom of Jollof in West Africa." So, it could be that what I remembered was the bastard third cousin. The last time I had Jollof Rice was when my sister-in-law's mother made some one Thanksgiving and I think a ate the whole container because it was the closest thing I had to Jollof Rice since Nancy left. But for my fans that have never had what I would like to call Jollof Rice I say you will really enjoy this recipe. Try it out and tell me what you think.
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