Poulet Yassa

Poulet Yassa

Poulet Yassa is a Senegalese meal that we eat quite often. It is Dan and Alexis' favorite meal and our house helper, Henriette, makes it for us almost every other Tuesday.

Check out http://www.gowestafrica.org/media/recipes.php for this and other West African recipes!

Poulet is the French word for "chicken". So, basically it's a meal made with LOTS of rice, a whole chicken (cut up and cooked), diced vegetables, and an onion sauce made with LOTS and LOTS of onions. Henriette used to slice 6-7 onions before realizing that was just a few too many for our taste. Even when she slices 3-4 it makes my eyes water! The onions however are Alexis' favorite part. She picks them out of the sauce and eats them like spaghetti noodles.

Our pictures include one large dish of Poulet Yassa with several spoons around it. This is how you eat with a large gathering of people. Each person has their own "pie-shaped" space in front of them and they only eat within those boundaries. No crossing over to eat something on another part of the plate! It is a little tricky to pull chicken off the bone with a spoon and you most definitely are not allowed to use your left hand to help in anyway!

There are also a few pictures from Le Ricef, a restaurant on the westernmost tip of the peninsula with a beautiful view of the ocean. Check out what Dan got for dinner. The presentation of the meal surprised him quite a bit!