Senegalese chicken yassa: lemon, onions and balanced cooking

Photo credit: Kinesira — Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo cropped.

Chicken yassa is built on a lemon marinade, plenty of onions and well-browned chicken. Lemon should brighten the sauce without overpowering the onions' sweetness.

Ingredients for 6

• 1.2 kg chicken
• 6 large sliced onions
• Juice of 3 lemons
• 2 tablespoons mustard
• Garlic, oil, salt, pepper and optional chilli

Method

1. Mix lemon, mustard, garlic and seasoning. Marinate the chicken in the refrigerator.
2. Drain the chicken, reserving the marinade, and brown it.
3. Slowly soften the onions without burning them. Add the marinade and cook.
4. Return the chicken to the sauce and cook through. Serve with rice.

Practical tip

Taste before adding more lemon. Longer-cooked onions can balance a sauce that tastes too sharp.

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FAQ

How long should the chicken marinate?

Two to four hours is enough; always keep covered chicken refrigerated while marinating.