🇨🇮 Ivorian Cuisine

Kédjenou

Slow-Cooked Chicken Stew

Prep Time 1 hour 30 min

Servings 6

Difficulty Medium

Calories 374 kcal

Tender chicken pieces slow-simmered in a sealed pot with tomatoes, onions, and scotch bonnet peppers, concentrating flavours without a drop of added water.

Ingredients

1 whole chicken, cut into pieces
3 tomatoes, chopped
2 onions, sliced
2 eggplants, cubed
2 scotch bonnet peppers
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 thumb fresh ginger, grated
2 bay leaves
1 tsp thyme
Salt to taste

Instructions

1 Season chicken with salt, garlic, and ginger. Layer into a clay pot or Dutch oven with tomatoes, onions, eggplants, scotch bonnet, bay leaves, and thyme.
2 Seal the pot tightly with foil then the lid. Cook on low heat for 1 hour without opening.
3 Shake the pot every 15 minutes to redistribute contents — never lift the lid.
4 After 1 hour, open and check that chicken is tender and sauce is concentrated.
5 Adjust seasoning and serve hot with attiéké or rice.

Did You Know?

The Bété people traditionally cook kédjenou in a canari (clay pot) and shake it instead of stirring — lifting the lid is considered a cooking sin.