Chicken Plantains and Vegetables – Super flavorful African Chicken meal, featuring fried plantains and vegetables in a herb sauce , inspired from French Cuisine
Happy Monday Everyone
Parlez vous francais?
Mes Amis, Today, I present to you a French inspired chicken dish. Not just any chicken dish this one is extra special. Cameroonians (my peeps) call this the ultimate chicken dish- better than any other chicken meal.
You see, this one pot meal, well, technically it is not cooked it a single pot but who’s checking? Here, bite sized chicken is smothered in a flavorful herb sauce, paired with vegetables and topped with crispy fried plantains. Oui, Merci!
Poulet D J is a French inspired dish – a cross between stir fried chicken meal and fricassee (a classic French stew of chicken and vegetables)
This French inspired meal uses indigenous spices, vegetables and plantains, for this ultimate chicken recipe. Truly Comforting and Délicieux
I have to admit; it is kind of visually appealing –Non?
Can you believe this was reserved for “important” people?
Vraiment? Not any more. It is now being served in restaurants and on special occasions in households.
It is traditionally made with skin- on, bone-in whole chicken cut up in bite size but I used boneless skinless chicken.
You should add the fried unripe plantains immediately before serving, to retain its crunchiness. This is how I do it: cook everything and wait until everyone is ready then fry the plantains. It sure makes a difference -tastes 100% better when it is hot.
This one- pot meal will unquestionably become a household favorite.
Bon Appetite!
- 1- 1 1/2 boneless chicken cut into small chunks
- 1 small onion chopped
- 1 ½ cups Fresh herbs parsley, celery, basil
- 2-3 fresh tomatoes
- 4 garlic cloves
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon white pepper
- 1- pound vegetables carrots, green beans
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Blend the onions, parsley, and celery, garlic in a food processor or blender into a rough paste
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Salt and pepper chicken, add about 2-3 tablespoons of the herb blend to the chicken. Set aside. You may do this step, ahead of time and let it marinate.
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Preheat a Dutch oven or other large heavy pot over medium-high heat.
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Add 2-3 tablespoons of oil to pot. Add the chicken, sauté for about 5-7 minutes chicken, turning once, until golden brown on both sides. Transfer chicken to a plate.
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Pour all the mixture into the pot, scraping up any browned bits with a wooden spoon, stirring occasionally, for about 8-10 minutes. Add about ½ a cup of chicken stock if need be.
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Mix the carrots, green beans and green peppers into the pot; let it simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Adjust seasonings to taste. Turn off the stove.
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Using a sharp knife cut both ends off the plantain. This will make it easy to grab the skin of the plantains. Slit a shallow line down the long seam of the plantain; peel only as deep as the peel. Remove plantain peel by pulling it back.
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Cut plantains into rounds about an inch thick.
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Heat up a large skillet or cast iron with oil up to ½ inch- medium-high heat until hot but not smoking.
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Fry the plantains until golden brown, then toss plantains with medley of chicken and vegetables. Hold off, on this part, until you are ready to serve the meal
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Serve immediately.
Looks delicious, and so flavorful, thanks for sharing
Leaving a comment to let you know it’s actually called Poulet DG, with the DG standing for Directeur Général which could be translated as a CEO. It has that name due to the fact that in the past it was only cooked for high placed people.
Otherwise, good recipe and pictures!
hi immaculate!
thanks for the recipe just a quick question. I see that the recipe calls for tomatoes when do i add that in. Do i blend them and make it like stew. Also do i only use a little of the herb paste to marinate the chicken and then pour the rest into the pot.
thanks!
Yes, you blend the tomatoes with rest of the ingredients before blending. Yes, if you can, marinate chicken with herb paste. If not you can make it without marinating.
Made this last weekend. Delicious!!
Girl! you rock! Thank you for these amazing dishes. I normally cook poulet DJ, but would directly steam the chicken with blended spices. Will try frying first. Cooking for some colleagues on Friday, will let you know how it goes.
Oui Oui Oui Je parle francais. Just love the combination of plantains and chicken smothered in sauce – Delicieux!
Me too!
And this is why I love your blog. A simple short list of ingredients that would make an otherwise ok dish, but then you add the step of turning the herbs into a paste which turns this into a stellar dish. I imagine that giving it some marinating time makes a huge difference. I would love to use this recipe for a simple grilled fish too. Thanks for sharing this Imma!
Aww, thanks Nagi
Charlene, let me know how you like it. It is a tastebud explosion.
I’m giving this five stars before I even cook the meal. Thank you for sharing this wonderful Cameroonian cuisine. I cannot wait to sample this dish over the coming weekend.