Recipes with chicken * Chez Fadi

stews

Fonio au gras | Fonio variant of Riz au Gras

By Fadi February 22, 2025

Fonio: The West African super grain you have to try! Have you ever heard of fonio? No? Then it's high time you did! This tiny grain is the new superfood that's quietly conquering the world – and rightly so. Fonio is not only nutritious but also incredibly versatile and tastes simply fantastic. What exactly is fonio? Fonio is an ancient grain from West Africa, cultivated there for thousands of years. It belongs to the millet family and is known for its tiny grains, which look a bit like sand – but thankfully don't taste like it! On the contrary: fonio has a mild, nutty flavor and a pleasantly fluffy texture, making it perfect for many dishes. But the best thing about fonio? It's not only gluten-free but also packed with nutrients. It contains iron, magnesium, zinc, and B vitamins and is a great source of plant-based protein. Plus, it's super light…

sauces

Poulet Yassa: A chicken dish with lots of character and even more onions

By Fadi September 28, 2024

If you've never heard of Poulet Yassa, you're definitely missing out. This West African dish from Senegal is a veritable explosion of flavor. That's remarkable, considering the ingredient list sounds so simple: chicken, onions, lemons, pepper, and optionally, mustard. Sounds easy, right? But don't be fooled; the real magic lies in the preparation. My first encounter with Poulet Yassa was a bit of a kitchen mishap. I thought I could just go with the flow—a spoonful of mustard here, a squeeze of lemon there. I ended up with more lemon than chicken. My face creased. It was as if I'd bitten into a whole lemon. But the aroma… that unmistakable, intense scent of caramelized onions and lemon juice lingering in the air wouldn't let me give up. Eventually, I stumbled upon the book Pastel et Yassa by Aissatou Mbaye. She is Aistou…

stews

Sautéed potatoes with smoked chicken | Potato stew with smoked chicken

By Fadi July 8, 2023

During my childhood, I rarely had the opportunity to eat potatoes, as they were quite expensive in Cameroon back then. This was because potatoes were only grown in a few regions of my homeland, which naturally affected the price. Therefore, potato dishes were a special treat for me, as for all the other children. I was all the more surprised when I came to Germany many years ago and found potatoes in all varieties and price ranges offered in supermarkets. During my first few months here in my adopted home, potatoes were served very often, until I simply couldn't stand the sight of them anymore. Now I've rediscovered my love for potatoes, as fries of course, but also in stews with tomato sauce and meat, just like in my childhood. This dish always symbolized comfort for me. Today's recipe comes from my mother. However, I've adapted it…

sauces

Mafé Poulet | West African peanut sauce with chicken

By Fadi February 25, 2023

Mafé is a popular West African peanut sauce traditionally served with meat, vegetables, and rice. Originally from Mali, it has spread to many West African countries, including Senegal, Gambia, and Guinea. This rich sauce is based on peanut butter, tomatoes, onions, and aromatic spices, giving it a savory, slightly nutty flavor. Depending on the region and personal preference, it is combined with chicken, beef, or fish, but it can also be prepared in a vegetarian or vegan version. I developed this recipe specifically for my first Cameroonian/West African cooking class, which I recently held in cooperation with the Ludwigsburg Adult Education Center. Mafé is particularly well-suited for novice cooks because it is easy to prepare and develops an intense flavor with just a few ingredients. What's special about my version is that it has been adapted to appeal to vegetarians, vegans, and meat lovers alike – so everyone could truly enjoy the dish to the fullest

sauces

Chicken in Spicy Tomato Sauce | Chicken in Spicy Tomato Sauce

By Fadi January 21, 2023

Tomatoes. I simply can't imagine cooking permanently without tomatoes. While tomatoes aren't used in every dish, they're essential in many of my favorites. Let's start with sauces: Is it even conceivable to make peanut sauce or peperoncini without tomatoes? It's probably possible, but would they actually taste good? Let's move on to stews like Jollof Rice. Tomatoes are absolutely essential in this dish. It practically lives and breathes tomatoes, just like many other dishes. Tomatoes give them that special umami flavor that tantalizes the taste buds. I've certainly made it abundantly clear that tomato sauce holds a very high place on my list of favorite dishes. Besides, when we were little, tomato sauce was always something really special. Especially when it was…

Main course

Spaghetti Camerounese | Spaghetti with tomato sauce, Cameroonian style

By Fadi September 3, 2022

Spaghetti is especially popular with children. At least, that's what I've observed, both here in Germany and in other European countries I've visited. In my home country of Cameroon, spaghetti is always a hit, too. A few days ago, I visited one of my friends. She's German with Hungarian roots, and like me, she's a passionate cook. She pulled out some cookbooks from her collection, and we chatted about different dishes. We also talked at length about our home countries. During this conversation, so many childhood memories came flooding back, memories I hadn't even thought about in a long time. Since she'd been wanting to show me how easy it is to make homemade pasta, we actually did it about half an hour later and made fresh spaghetti together. It was a wonderful experience, and I started to…

from the oven

Chicken au citron vert | Lime chicken

By Fadi March 19, 2022

Poulet au Citron – lemon chicken – is a classic Moroccan dish. I've reinterpreted this delicious dish for myself, creating Poulet au Citron vert – lime chicken. The original recipe calls for marinating the chicken in chermoula, a Moroccan marinade made with oil, coriander, and garlic. Depending on the recipe, the chicken is then either grilled directly in the oven or cooked in a tagine before being briefly grilled in the oven to crisp it up. Candied lemons are often used instead of fresh ones. While shopping for the weekend, I suddenly had a craving for a whole chicken, so I decided to take one home. After much deliberation about what to make with it, the only way to prepare chicken that would appeal to my mother-in-law – if she were to eat it at all – suddenly came to mind: Poulet…

Main course

Gombo royal | Chopped okra with smoked chicken and semolina fufu

By Fadi February 26, 2022

Okra is one of my favorite vegetables. How often have I shared okra recipes? Very often, and always with fufu. What else? For those who aren't familiar with okra, here's a brief explanation: Okra (botanically Hibiscus esculentus, Abelmoschus esculentus) is also known as gombo or ladies' fingers (because of its shape, which resembles a woman's finger), or, in some regions, as vegetable hibiscus. It's a vegetable from the mallow family, a relative of foléré. This wonderful vegetable originally comes from Ethiopia and was cultivated thousands of years ago on the banks of the Nile by the Egyptians, who highly valued it for its amazing qualities. Okra spread from Africa to the rest of the world and is now found all over the globe. [Video of okra] [View this post on Instagram] [A post shared by Fadi N. (@chez.fadi)] [About fufu] What exactly is fufu or foufou? The answer depends on where you are…

Main course

Kwacoco | Macobo dough steamed in banana leaves

By Fadi December 11, 2021

Kwacoco is a Cameroonian dish made from grated macabo tubers. First, the macabo tubers are peeled, grated, wrapped in banana leaves, and steamed. This dish was a part of my childhood in Loum and evokes pure emotion for me. I can't even remember the last time I ate it. I've never even made it myself. But I can remember every detail of the preparation. At home, we didn't have it very often. I grew up in a neighborhood with neighbors from different regions of Cameroon. We were a wonderful community back then and shared a lot, especially culinary specialties from each other's home regions. That's how it came about that our neighbor from Bafang (in western Cameroon) would always bring us an extra portion of Kwacoco whenever she cooked it. Her Kwacoco was stuffed…

Leafy greens

Kpwem | Cassava leaves with peanut butter and smoked turkey meat

By Fadi September 25, 2021

As you probably already know, cassava is a highly prized food in Cameroonian and West African cuisine. Cassava roots or tubers are a delicious side dish to many meals. They can be steamed, fried, or even grilled. Fermented, they can be processed into Bobolo, Miondo, Mitoumba, Gari, Attiéké, Chikwang, or cassava flour. To name just a few. With the cassava plant, not only the roots but also the leaves are edible. Cassava is fantastic because not only the roots but also the leaves of the cassava plant are edible. Kpwem—sometimes also Kpwemp or Kwem, as they are called in Cameroon—or Pondu—in Congo—are the young, tender leaves of the cassava plant. As I said, a fantastic plant! A little anecdote about Kpwem: Today, another little story from my childhood in Lum, Cameroon. I probably liked Kpwem until I was about 9 years old (unfortunately, I can't remember anymore).…