Chicken Moambe
Pollo Moambé (POH-yoh moh-AHM-beh)
Chicken in Palm Nut Sauce
Tender chicken pieces braised in a luscious, thick palm nut cream sauce infused with garlic, tomatoes, and scotch bonnet pepper. A Central African masterpiece of depth and richness.
Nutrition & Info
Equipment Needed
Instructions
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1
Season the chicken pieces with salt, white pepper, and minced garlic. Let them marinate for at least thirty minutes to absorb the flavors deeply.
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2
Heat groundnut oil in a large dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken pieces in batches, cooking about four minutes per side until golden. Remove and set aside.
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3
In the same pot, saute the diced onions until soft and golden. Add the tomato paste and cook for two minutes, stirring constantly until it darkens slightly.
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4
Pour in the blended tomatoes and cook for ten minutes until the sauce reduces and the raw tomato flavor cooks out completely.
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5
Add the palm nut cream to the pot, stirring to combine with the tomato base. Add the seasoning cubes and the whole scotch bonnet pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer.
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6
Return the browned chicken pieces to the pot, nestling them into the moambe sauce. Cover and simmer on low heat for forty-five minutes until the chicken is fall-off-the-bone tender and the sauce has thickened.
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7
Remove the scotch bonnet pepper, adjust seasoning, and serve over steamed rice or with boiled plantains. Garnish with fresh spinach leaves.
Did You Know?
Moambe sauce, made from the fruit of the oil palm tree, is so central to Central African cooking that it has been called the butter of Africa.
Chef's Notes
Equipment Tips
- large dutch oven
- wooden spoon
- sharp knife
- blender
The Story Behind Chicken Moambe
Chicken Moambe is one of the great dishes of Central Africa, shared across Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Congo, and Cameroon. The palm nut sauce that defines this dish comes from processing the fruit of the African oil palm, a tree that has sustained communities in the region for millennia. In Equatorial Guinea, the Fang people consider moambe a celebration dish, essential at weddings and community feasts. The Spanish colonial period added tomatoes to the recipe, but the soul of the dish remains purely African.
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