Kedjenou Chicken Ivory Coast Stew 3 Cooking Methods

End result? Saucy… Bold… Sharp! Lip smacking, delicious chicken with plenty of stew to slurp along with a big bowl of rice or attiéké (their cous cous like staple side dish). Keep a glass of water nearby if trying the local chili level. All that spiciness, ahmm, it’s worth it. For rest, don’t miss out on this great chicken stew. Just adjust the chili level to your liking and get these African flavors going in your very own kitchen.

What is Kedjenou?

Kedjenou, pronounced as (KED-gen-ooh), is the flagship dish of Côte d’Ivoire, aka the Ivory Coast in English. The Ivory Coast is considered the cultural hub of West Africa. This place is home to around 60 ethnic groups, each with their own dialects and customs, as well as their own food legacies based on whatever they had available on land or by coast. The Ivoirian food is known for slow cooked stews which are fiery and saucy. They say the word “Kedjenou” comes from the Baoulé ethnic group, and in their language it means “to move or shake”. So Kedjenou is meat cooked and braised in a sealed pot, traditionally a clay terracotta pot called a “canari”. The clay pot remains closed throughout the cooking so all the flavors remain intact, and meat and vegetables are cooked in their own steam and juices. Little or no other liquid is usually added and that helps build concentrated flavors. The canari is shaken from time to time to prevent the food from burning and sticking to the bottom. This cooking technique is very similar to North African tajine style. Kedjenou can be made with variety of meats like chicken, pork, beef and even seafood. But Kedjenou chicken, or Kedjenou de Poulet, is more popular and you will certainly find it on the menus of their maquis, small open air restaurants unique to Côte d’Ivoire. Every family has their special take on this favorite stew. What remains constant is the hotness that they get from those cute little hot peppers. I know the name is a little peculiar, but not its ingredients. They are the very same we use in our every day life, and this can be very easily made in a western kitchen with the help of our dutch ovens. This can be made on stove top, in your oven, or even your slow cooker. How? I WILL TELL YOU ALL…

Ingredients Needed

Chicken – I am using a whole chicken cut into pieces, leaving the skin on, but honestly, you can make it with any cut. Personally, I prefer bone-in thighs, drumsticks, or even wings for this stew. I also like it skinless because I’m not a big fan of stewed skin. Vegetables – Onion, green onions, tomatoes, bell peppers (we are using green, yellow and red) and eggplant. These create the base for the stew. Aromatics – Ginger and garlic. Hot peppers – I am using habanero, but any other hot peppers would do, like scotch bonnet. Don’t get carried away by how cute they look, they are HOT BOMBS! Thyme – Fresh is great, but you can use dried. Smoked paprika – This really gives a distinctive flavor. Bay leaves Salt and fresh cracked pepper Chicken bouillon cube

Kedjenou Chicken Recipe

This recipe is extremely easy and results in amazing flavors. You are going to love it. You will need a deep and wide dutch oven with a lid to create the canari effect. Here is how I cook my spicy chicken stew. I chop all the vegetables except the eggplant and marinate the chicken with them, along with ginger, garlic, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, thyme, bay leaf, and whole hot peppers. I like to marinate it for at least a couple of hours, but honestly, it still turns out delicious if you don’t have time to wait. I prefer to add the chopped eggplant when I start cooking because it oxidizes quickly when exposed to air. When ready to cook, I am simply going to layer the veggies and chicken and cook it undisturbed. That’s actually the difficult part for me, I am so used to handling and giving constant attention when cooking. So keeping patient and not to peaking is quite a test for me. Anyway, in the Dutch oven, I start by spreading half of the chopped veggies (now’s the time to chop those eggplants and mix them with the rest). You might notice there’s no oil here, which is intentional. Then, I place the chicken pieces on top of the vegetable layer. Sometimes, I sprinkle a little oil on top of the chicken, but that’s totally optional. Next, I throw in the hot peppers. I’m using 3 whole habanero peppers, keeping them intact so the stew won’t be too spicy. Then, I add bay leaves, a few extra thyme sprigs, some salt, and pepper. I crumble a bouillon cube on top for extra flavor, and then layer the rest of the vegetables over everything. That’s it, super simple! Close the lid and let it cook undisturbed for about an hour. For the first 15 minutes, I keep the heat on medium to high, then give the pot a gentle shake and reduce the heat to medium-low. The chicken and vegetables will release plenty of liquid, which helps keep the chicken moist and tender. I shake the pot every 15 minutes or so, without opening the lid, to ensure even cooking. After an hour, I check if the chicken is fall-off-the-bone tender. If it’s not quite there yet, I let it cook for a few more minutes until it is. When the stew is ready, it’s time to set the hotness level. I like to prick all of the habaneros open, and they are like hot bombs exploding in my stew. But I like spicy. If you are heat sensitive, you can just prick one at a time to slowly adjust the hotness to your liking, or remove them altogether.

You can bake this in your oven too

After layering the chicken and vegetables, I simply place the Dutch oven in a preheated oven at 350°F for about an hour, or until the chicken is fall-off-the-bone tender. I give the pot a shake once or twice during cooking, without opening the lid, to keep everything evenly cooked.

Crockpot Method

I dump everything in your slow cooker and cook 3 hours on high or 5-6 hours on low and forget it till it’s done. Well guys, I am not sure how many of us will have the opportunity to explore the West African coast and their wonderful foods. I wish you all plenty of travels, but in the mean time how about making some food journeys right in our very homes? Give this dish from the other side of the Atlantic a try. Variety is spice of life! Get this spicy one into your life… 🙂