CAMEROON: Poulet DG and Fonio, aka GF "Cinderella Couscous"

Both recipes this week need some explaining. Poulet DG is the chicken preparation you did not realize was missing from your life until you tried it. It takes some chopping, but otherwise is super simple and requires only one pot (plus the pan for the plantains) — and it is bizarrely tasty! Unique, yet comforting at the same time. And fonio is essentially gluten-free couscous, rich in iron and amino acids and a source of zinc, phosphorus and vitamins B1 (thiamin) and B3 (niacin). Sort of like Cinderella — hidden away when it should be the belle of the ball. It is sold in many markets and online, but if you cannot find it, couscous or rice work just as well!

Poulet DG

4-6, skin-on, bone-in chicken pieces (I prefer dark meat)

salt and pepper to taste

1 large onion, roughly chopped

1 large handful parsley

2 celery stalks

1 tomato, roughly chopped

2 cloves garlic, peeled

¼ inch finger of ginger, grated

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 large carrot, peeled and cut into ½-inch slices

1 small leek, white and light green part only, cleaned and cut into ½-inch slices

¼ lbs string beans, ends trimmed and cut in 1/2

1-2 small pepper, red, green, or both

2 large plantains, medium ripe

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

1 chicken bouillon cube

1. Preheat oven to 400°. Slice off ends of plantain, and slit peel 2-3 times lengthwise. Peel off skin. Slice plantains into ½-inch slices. Toss with olive oil, sprinkle on salt and pepper, and spread in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Bake 10 minutes. Flip and bake for 5 more. Turn oven to broil, and broil until just brown. Set aside.

2. While oven preheats, add canola oil to a large Dutch oven or cast-iron skillet and heat on medium heat. Trim off excess fat from chicken pieces, salt and pepper, and place into heated oil. Cook until skin browns on bottom. Flip over and repeat on other side. When chicken is brown on both sides, move onto a platter. Add carrots and leeks to same pan or skillet, using more oil if needed, and cook about 7 minutes, stirring, to soften carrots.

3. Place the onion, parsley, celery, tomato, garlic, and ginger in a high-power blender or food processor, and blend until fully pureed. Add to pan with carrots and leeks, scraping up any brown bits. Add bullion cube, string beans, and peppers. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for about 5 minutes longer.

4. Add ½ cup of water and plantains (once they are out of the oven) to the pan and stir. Nestle the chicken pieces. Simmer until chicken is cooked through and carrots are soft, turning chicken halfway through, about 10 minutes total.

Fonio, aka GF "Cinderella Couscous"

1 cup unflavored fonio

1 chicken bouillon cube

1. Boil two cups water and bouillon cube in a small stockpot with lid.

2. Add fonio. Stir and bring back to a boil.

3. Cover. Remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes. Fluff and serve.

#fonio #glutenfree #cameroon #pouletdg #globalcooking #feedingthefamily

FUN FACTS:

• Cameroon is one of the few homes to the goliath frog, the largest living frog. The species can grow up to more than a foot in length from snout to vent and weigh more than 7 pounds!

• On 21 August 1986, a limnic eruption at Lake Nyos in northwestern Camerooon killed 1,746 people and 3,500 livestock.

• Debundscha Point, nestled between Mount Cameroon and the Atlantic Ocean, is one of the wettest places on Earth. It has a mean annual precipitation of more than 405 inches per year.