Tender chicken pieces braised in a rich, velvety palm butter sauce with tomatoes, garlic, and scotch bonnet pepper. This iconic Central African dish is the national pride of the Republic of Congo.
Ingredients
1 whole chicken, cut into pieces
400g palm butter paste
3 large tomatoes, diced
2 onions, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 scotch bonnet peppers
3 tbsp vegetable oil
2 bay leaves
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
Fresh basil leaves
2 cups water
Instructions
1Season chicken pieces generously with salt and black pepper. Heat vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering.
2Brown the chicken pieces on all sides for about eight minutes until golden. Remove and set aside on a plate while you build the sauce base.
3Saute diced onions in the same pot for five minutes until softened. Add minced garlic and cook one minute until fragrant and lightly golden.
4Add diced tomatoes, bay leaves, and whole scotch bonnet peppers. Cook for ten minutes, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes break down into a thick sauce.
5Dissolve palm butter paste in two cups of warm water and pour into the pot. Stir well until the sauce is smooth and uniformly orange-red in color.
6Return chicken pieces to the pot, cover, and simmer on low heat for forty-five minutes until chicken is very tender and sauce is thick and rich. Serve with fufu or white rice.
Did You Know?
Moambe chicken is so beloved across Central Africa that it is considered the national dish of both the Republic of Congo and the Democratic Republic of Congo.