West African (again) Dinner with Miki

Miki is always a gracious guinea pig, and never more so than when sampling Cafe Drake's now frequent forays into the cuisine of the African Highlands. The recipe below is typical of the region but bears a striking resemblance naturally to East Indian curries; the flavors remain different however and chopped peanuts or wedges of boiled egg would authenticate further the African influence. We served the chicken alongside simply sauteed spinach with fresh lemons and boiled millet, a grain common to not only Africa but also many parts of rural Asia. Millet is a tricky fellow, so always dry roast in a pan preceding its use in any recipe and perhaps enhance the mild flavor, as we did, with chopped scallions and dried fruit of any sort, or crushed garlic, onions and other aromatic vegetables. The chicken should be garnished at the table with a dollop of thick, creamy yogurt (go for the Greek variety) and mango chutney.

WEST AFRICAN CURRIED CHICKEN

2 lbs. skinned chicken thighs / 1 T. fresh ground black pepper / kosher salt / 5 large cloves of garlic, peeled / 1 3-inch piece of ginger, peeled and chopped roughly / 2 jalapenos, chopped / 2 onions, one sliced thinly, the other chopped / 1 t. each ground cinnamon and coriander and cumin / water / vegetable oil / 1 14-oz can diced tomatoes

1. In a bowl salt and pepper the chicken and set aside.


2. In a blender, combine the garlic, ginger, jalapenos, chopped onion and spices. Add enough water to blend to a thickish paste.


3. In a deep skillet, saute the sliced onion in a good amount of oil till well browned. On medium heat add the spice paste and cook for two minutes at least.
   
4. Add the chicken and toss fully with the spices and onions. Add tomatoes and about 1/3 cup of water. Bring to a gentle boil, cover and cook on very low heat for 40 minutes or so.


5. Serve over millet or grain of choice (or with boiled potatoes) and yogurt.