Introduction: SLOW COOKED JOLLOF RICE AND CHICKEN
West Africans take their jollof rice and chicken very seriously and when Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver tried to make his version of it, it caused the famous #jollofgate incident. Jollof rice and chicken is usually the main dish at every celebration, bbq, and party and it is so easy to prepare.
In my opinion, the secret to the perfect jollof rice is the slow cooking, that way the rice get cooked by steam and retains all the flavour without turning in risotto.
The chicken is my special Sunday recipe as it feeds many mouths for Sunday lunch and the leftovers go into sandwiches, omelettes and I use the bones for chicken soups and waste nothing! This is also great a great gift for a new mother, ill friend or relative as it is versatile.
Anyway, let's get started....
Preheat your oven to 300ºf/150ºc
Step 1: INGREDIENTS FOR THE CHICKEN MARINADE
Here are the ingredients you need;
1 whole chicken
1/4 tsp of curry
1/4 tsp of thyme
1 whole onion (chopped or quartered)
2 tbs of tomato paste/puree
1/2 tsp of salt
1 chicken stock cube
Step 2: MAKE THE CHICKEN MARINADE
In a blender, combine the spices, onions, tomato puree and salt.
Add a splash of water and blend till smooth.
Step 3: BASTE, ROAST and GRILL
1.Baste the chicken the blended marinade
2. Make a few cuts on the chicken and try to get as much marinade under the skin. Wrap chicken in foil/aluminium paper to keep the chicken moist.
3. Roast in the oven on 300ºf/150ºc for 2-3hrs till juices run clear.
4. Remove foil/aluminuim wrap and grill for 5 minutes at 400ºf/ 200ºc to crisp up the skin.
And boom all done!
Step 4: INGREDIENTS FOR THE JOLLOF RICE
1/4 tsp of curry
1/4 tsp of thyme
1 whole onion diced
4 tbs of tomato paste/puree
2 tsp of salt
1 stock cube
1 scotch bonnet(optional)
3 cups of basmatic rice
Step 5: HOW TO MAKE THE SAUCE
1. Brown the onions in some vegetable oil till soft .
2. Add the tomato puree, chopped scotch bonnet, salt, and spices.
3. Stir in a cup of water to the mixture, add the stock cubes and simmer for 5 minutes.
The sauce is ready!!
Step 6: ADD THE RICE
Next...
1. Add in the rice(make sure it is washed) to the sauce.
2. Add 1-2 cups of water. (The water should cover the rice a little)
3. Then slow cook on low for 30-45mins or till the rice is soft.
Step 7: ALL DONE!
The finished product will be a flavourful fluffy rice that everyone will love!
Serve with the chicken and enjoy!
Please leave a comment below if you tried it and let me know how you get on.
Nemi :)