Rwandan Brochettes (Grilled Meat Skewers)
Aperçu
Brochettes are skewered grilled meat, and in Rwanda they are the food most reliably present wherever people gather in the evening. Goat is the usual choice, threaded onto skewers with onion, grilled over charcoal, and eaten standing at a bar, sitting in a restaurant, or bought from a street vendor on the way somewhere else. The word is French, meaning skewer, and its presence in Rwandan usage is a plain marker of the colonial period. What the word describes is entirely Rwandan: a particular cut, a particular char, and a particular way of eating, with grilled or fried plantain, potatoes and a fresh salad alongside. They are not heavily spiced, which distinguishes them sharply from the grilled meat traditions further west. Where Nigerian suya is built on a dry spice coating and West African peppered goat is aggressively hot, a Rwandan brochette is seasoned simply and relies on the meat and the fire. Heat, when it is wanted, arrives separately at the table as akabanga, the thin orange Rwandan chilli oil that is sold in small bottles and used a drop at a time. That separation of meat and heat is a matter of preference in Rwanda rather than an absence of one.
Note de Patrimoine AFN
The word brochette entered Rwandan usage from French during the colonial period, describing skewered grilled meat that became established as a Rwandan bar and street food. Its earliest documented date in Rwanda is uncertain.
Ingrédients
Les mentions alimentaires sont fournies par les contributeurs à titre indicatif. Elles ne sont pas vérifiées par AFN et dépendent des produits que vous achetez. En cas d’allergie grave, vérifiez vous-même chaque ingrédient. Cuisine, allergies et votre propre jugement
Préparation
- 1
Combine the bite sized goat meat in a large bowl with half the minced garlic, half the chopped parsley, the tomato paste and a pinch of salt and pepper. Mix so all the meat is coated evenly.
- 2
Cover and leave to marinate for at least 30 minutes, or refrigerate for several hours or overnight for better flavour.
- 3
While the meat marinates, soak wooden skewers in water for about 30 minutes so they do not burn.
- 4
In a separate bowl, mix the olive oil with the remaining minced garlic, the chopped chillies and a pinch of salt and pepper. This is the basting mixture.
- 5
Thread the marinated goat onto the soaked skewers, alternating with pieces of chopped onion. Pack the meat and onion closely together.
- 6
Preheat the grill to medium high. If using charcoal, wait until the coals are hot and have turned white.
- 7
Grill the brochettes for about 10 to 15 minutes, turning occasionally and basting with the prepared mixture.
- 8
Cook to the doneness you want. They are conventionally served slightly charred and well cooked through.
- 9
Transfer to a platter and scatter the remaining chopped parsley over the top.
Notes de l’Africook
Notes personnelles de Deborah Olayiwola- Soak wooden skewers for a full 30 minutes. Dry skewers catch and burn through before the meat is done, and you lose the brochette off the grill.
- Pack the meat tightly against the onion rather than spacing it out. Loose pieces dry from all sides; packed pieces steam each other slightly and stay tender.
- Goat is the standard because it firms and crisps at the edges rather than going soft. Beef, chicken and pork are all used and give a different result, not a worse one.
- Keep the seasoning restrained. This is not suya, and loading it with spice moves it away from what a Rwandan brochette is.
- Akabanga, the Rwandan chilli oil, is the correct way to add heat and is added at the table rather than to the marinade. It is extremely strong and used a drop at a time.
Questions fréquentes
What meat is best for brochettes?
Goat is the standard in Rwanda and gives the firm, slightly crisp edge the dish is known for. Beef and chicken are both widely used, and pork appears too. Whichever you choose, cut it into even bite sized pieces so the whole skewer cooks at the same rate, and avoid very lean cuts, which dry out fast over direct heat.
How are brochettes served in Rwanda?
Most often with potatoes, boiled or fried, in restaurants and bars. Grilled or fried plantain is a common partner, as is a fresh salad of tomato and onion. They are also sold as street food and eaten on their own, straight from the skewer. Rice appears alongside in some places.
Are Rwandan brochettes spicy?
Not usually. They are seasoned simply and rely on the meat and the charcoal rather than on heat, which sets them apart from Nigerian suya or West African peppered goat. Heat is added at the table, most often as akabanga, the thin orange Rwandan chilli oil, which is potent enough that a single drop is a serving.
Can I make brochettes without a charcoal grill?
Yes, though the charcoal is doing real work. A gas grill at medium high gets you close. Under an oven grill, set the skewers on a rack over a tray at the highest setting and turn frequently. A ridged griddle pan on the hob is the last resort and gives good char marks but no smoke at all.
Avis
4 avis
Goat meat here in Lagos can be tough so 30 mins cooking wasnt quite enough for mine to soften properly, had to leave them on the grill longer. But that basting oil with the minced garlic and fresh chillies is top tier. Next time ill pre-cook the goat slightly or marinate even longer.
picked up some fresh goat shoulder from my local butcher in Croydon for this. back home in Ghana we do suya/chichinga mostly but this Rwandan style with tomato paste in the marinade and the garlic chilli basting oil is so good chale. tender meat and the charred onions hit different.
Left the goat in the tomato paste and garlic marinade overnight inside fridge before grilling on my charcoal barbecue. That chilli and olive oil basting mix at the end made the meat so tender and juicy o. My husband ate almost all the skewer sha!
couldnt get good goat at sainsburys so used diced mutton from the turkish shop. quick question abeg, did your wooden skewers not char even after soaking for 30 mins? mine still caught fire on the edges on my oven grill, maybe I need metal ones. parsley and red chillies in the oil basting was lovely though e sweet