Yassa poulet (yaasa ginaar)
Chicken long marinated in lemon and buried under a mountain of onions slowly confited over low heat, spiced with mustard and a hint of chili. The sauce, both tangy and sweet, coats white rice.
Chicken long marinated in lemon and buried under a mountain of onions slowly confited over low heat, spiced with mustard and a hint of chili. The sauce, both tangy and sweet, coats white rice.
Yassa is my comfort food, the easy thing you make at home when you don't have time to bring out the big pot. The secret is patience: you marinate your chicken in lemon and onions for hours beforehand, and then you let the onions melt slowly until they become almost a jam. I feel my Senegalese roots in every bite of that lemony sauce. It's humble, but ask anyone from home: we never get tired of it.
- •Free-range chicken — one, cut into pieces (protein)
- •Onions — in large quantity (melting base)
- •Lemon (lime) — several (signature acidity)
- •Mustard — a spoonful (spicy binder)
- •Chili, bay leaf, peanut oil — to taste (seasoning)
- •White rice — to accompany (base)
Yassa poulet (yaasa ginaar)
Chicken long marinated in lemon and buried under a mountain of onions slowly confited over low heat, spiced with mustard and a hint of chili. The sauce, both tangy and sweet, coats white rice.
Why this dish? Akon himself cites yassa among the dishes that bring him back to his Senegalese roots. It is the quintessential domestic dish, the one eaten on weekdays between stays in Dakar, simpler than thiéboudienne but equally loved.
Yassa is my comfort food, the easy thing you make at home when you don't have time to bring out the big pot. The secret is patience: you marinate your chicken in lemon and onions for hours beforehand, and then you let the onions melt slowly until they become almost a jam. I feel my Senegalese roots in every bite of that lemony sauce. It's humble, but ask anyone from home: we never get tired of it.
Ingredients (period version)
- Free-range chicken — one, cut into pieces (protein)
- Onions — in large quantity (melting base)
- Lemon (lime) — several (signature acidity)
- Mustard — a spoonful (spicy binder)
- Chili, bay leaf, peanut oil — to taste (seasoning)
- White rice — to accompany (base)
Ingredients
- Chicken thighs and drumsticks — 1 kg (protein)
- Onions — 6 large (melting base)
- Lime juice — 4 limes (signature acidity)
- Dijon mustard — 2 tbsp (spicy binder)
- 1 chili, 2 bay leaves, oil — to taste (seasoning)
- White rice — 300 g (base)
Method
- Marinate the chicken for at least 2 hours with lemon, sliced onions, mustard, chili, and bay leaves.
- Drain and sear the chicken pieces to brown them (or grill them).
- Cook all the onions from the marinade over low heat until they caramelize slightly.
- Return the chicken, add the lemon marinade, and simmer covered for 30 minutes.
- Serve the onion sauce over white rice with the chicken pieces.
How it was made : Yassa comes from Casamance, southern Senegal. Traditionally, the chicken (or fish, yassa jën) was first grilled over embers before being combined with the onions, giving it a smoky note. Lemon also helped preserve the meat in the hot climate.
The contemporary twist : A grating of lime zest and a few raw red onion pickles placed at plating to brighten the sweet melted sauce.
Akon · Charactorium
