Cote d'Ivoire

 Welcome to Cote d'Ivoire!  This country has a population of 25.72 million people, and the capital is Yamoussoukro.  They are known for their cocoa beans, and very yummy chocolate comes from Cote d'Ivoire!  And their national dish is...

 

Fufu!

Now, here's a story for you.  When I planned this dinner, I didn't look at my list - I looked at the recipes saved.  And the main dish was Kedjenou - a chicken stew.  So, without consulting my list, I made Kedjenou, thinking this was the national dish.  Then I read that this dish is served with the national dish of Fufu.  Oops!  (Stay tuned to find out what fufu actually is!)  So, alas, I did not actually make the national dish of Cote d'Ivore.  However, I have seen other African countries that have this dish as their national dish, so we will eventually have it.  For this meal, we made Kedjenou and Alloco.  Here's what I did:

KEDJENOU

1 whole chicken, pieced out

4 Roma tomatoes, diced

3 onions, diced

6 garlic cloves, diced

1 eggplant, large dice

3 tbsp avocado oil

1 tsp chicken bullion 

1 inch fresh ginger, grated

3 bay leaves

1 tbsp paprika

3 Serrano peppers, deseeded and diced

2 tbsp parsley, chopped for garnish

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Place the pieced-out chicken in a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot.
2. Pour the oil over the chicken.
3. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well.
4. Cover the pot and cook on low heat for about 45 minutes, stirring every 15ish minutes.
5. Garnish with parsley and eat with fufu.

(Source: Kedjenou)

ALLOCO with PILI PILI

Alloco

2 ripe plantains

1 1/2 tbsp coconut oil

Salt, to taste

Pili Pili

1 C avocado oil

1 onion, roughly chopped

6 cloves garlic, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

4 Serrano peppers, deseeded and chopped

1/2 C tomato paste

1 C water

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp dried parsley

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp cayenne 

1 tsp oregano

1 bay leaf

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

 

Stage 1 - Pili Pili

1. Place a medium pot over medium-high heat, and add oil.
2. Once oil is hot, add onions and garlic, for about 4 minutes.
3. Add the carrot and peppers, and cook for 1 minute.
4. Add the tomato paste, water, salt, pepper, paprika, cayenne, oregano, and parsley.  Mix well.
5. When everything is mixed, add bay leaf and vinegar and mix.  
6. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and let simmer for 20 minutes.

Stage 2 - Frying Alloco

1. Heat oil in a frying pan until there is a layer of oil covering the bottom of the pan.
2. Slice plantains into 1/3 inch "chips".
3. Add plantains to the pan, and fry each side for 6 minutes each - they should become golden brown, hard and crispy.
4. Remove plantains from the pan once both sides have been fried, and let drain on a paper towel.
5. Salt to taste.

Stage 3 - Finish Pili Pili

1. When sauce has simmered 20 minutes, use an immersion blender and blend until pureed.
2. Dip the Alloco in the Pili Pili and enjoy!

(Source: Alloco)

 

  

The verdict?  I was pleasantly surprised.  I am not a fan (AT ALL) of eggplant, and was afraid it would overpower.  It was so good!  This dish (Kedjenou) will be part of our regular rotation.  The only thing I would change is I would use boneless thighs/breasts instead of piecing out a chicken.  It was tricky to eat with the bones.  But the depth of flavor was just delicious.  Handsome Husband agreed, and was happy to eat the leftovers!  I wasn't a fan of the Alloco, but the Pili Pili sauce was amazing!  We have since put it on steamed veggies, eggs, salad, and dipped some corn chips in it.  So versatile, and so yummy.  It does have some heat, so if you're not into heat, I'd suggest cutting back on the peppers.  We did find that the sauce overpowered the plantains, and we weren't able to taste the plantains at all.  But overall, Cote d'Ivore did not disappoint!

ME

Taste of Kedjenou (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 9

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 1

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 8

HANDSOME HUSBAND

Taste of Kedjenou (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 7

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 1

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 8

 

ME

Taste of Alloco (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 9*

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 5

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 8

HANDSOME HUSBAND

Taste of Kedjenou (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 9

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 5

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 9

 

*Disclaimer about the Alloco rating.  The rating is more for the sauce.  I still don't like plantains, but that sauce...oh my...so good.

 

There you have another country!  Next time, we are going to Romania!  Hope to see you there!