Gabonese Chicken & Palm-Nut Stew

Name: Gabonese Chicken & Palm-Nut Stew
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 75 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Gabonese
Ingredients: 1 tbsp Neutral cooking oil; 1 large Onion, finely sliced; 4 Garlic cloves, minced; 20 g Fresh ginger, grated; 1 Red chilli, finely chopped; 400 g Chopped tomatoes; 400 ml Palm-nut cream; 250 ml Chicken stock; 1 tsp Fine salt; 1 kg Chicken thighs, boneless and skinless; 1 Lime, juiced; 300 g Long-grain rice, to serve; 2 Plantains, boiled, to serve

Poulet nyembwe is tender chicken simmered in a silky palm-nut sauce with garlic, ginger, chilli and lime, a comforting Gabonese stew for rice or boiled plantain.

75 mins total for first methodServes 4On the Hob

Ingredients ↓Method ↓

Ingredients

1 tbsp Neutral cooking oil
1 large Onion, finely sliced
4 Garlic cloves, minced
20 g Fresh ginger, grated
1 Red chilli, finely chopped
400 g Chopped tomatoes
400 ml Palm-nut cream
250 ml Chicken stock
1 tsp Fine salt
1 kg Chicken thighs, boneless and skinless
1 Lime, juiced
300 g Long-grain rice, to serve
2 Plantains, boiled, to serve

Method

20 mins prep55 mins cook75 mins total

Brown the chicken in the oil for 6 minutes, then remove.
Cook the onions for 7 minutes. Add garlic, ginger and chilli for 2 minutes, then stir in tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes.
Add palm-nut cream, stock, salt and chicken. Bring to a gentle simmer.
Cover and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is tender and the sauce coats a spoon.
Finish with lime juice and serve with rice or boiled plantain.

Notes

Palm-nut cream is different from coconut cream and is available from African grocers; do not substitute coconut unless you accept a different flavour.

About this recipe

Poulet nyembwe is a comforting Gabonese chicken stew with a rich, savoury sauce made from palm-nut cream. The chicken is browned first, then simmered with onion, garlic, ginger, chilli and tomato until tender and deeply flavoured.

Finish the sauce with lime juice to lift its gentle sweetness and serve the stew with steamed rice or boiled plantain. Use palm-nut cream rather than coconut cream for the characteristic flavour, and stir occasionally while the chicken cooks so the sauce stays smooth. This is a generous, warming centrepiece for a relaxed family meal.

Gabonese Stew Gluten-Free One-Pot