Table of Contents
What Is Kedjenou Made Of?
Origin Of Kedjenou
The canari, which is sealed with banana leaves and a string, is placed over fire or coals to allow the kedjenou to cook.
Although preparation methods for kedjenou often vary, most of them do not call for any liquid to be added, to allow the chicken to cook in its own juices, which helps tenderize the meat and concentrates the flavors. This technique is very similar to the smothering (etouffée) technique used in the tagines from North Africa, where the moisture mostly comes from the onions and the meat.
How To Make Kedjenou
Kedjenou can be made with variety of meats like chicken, pork, beef and even seafood. But Kedjenou chicken, or Kedjenou de Poulet, is more popular and you will certainly find it on the menus of their maquis, small open air restaurants unique to Côte d’Ivoire.
Every family has their special take on this favorite stew. What remains constant is the hotness that they get from those cute little hot peppers.
I know the name is a little peculiar, but not its ingredients. They are the very same we use in our every day life, and this can be very easily made in a western kitchen.
This is what you need;
- Chicken – They use whole chicken cut into pieces with skin on. You can make it with any cut. We like our bone-in thighs or drumsticks, or even wings for this stew. We like it skinless, as we are not fans of stewed skin.
- Vegetables – Onion, green onions, tomatoes, bell peppers (we are using green, yellow and red) and eggplant. These create the base for the stew.
- Aromatics – Ginger and garlic.
- Hot peppers – We are using habanero, but any other hot peppers would do, like scotch bonnet. Don’t get carried away by how cute they look, they are HOT BOMBS!
- Thyme – Fresh is great, but you can use dried.
- Smoked paprika – This really gives a distinctive flavor.
- Bay leaves
- Salt and fresh cracked pepper
- Chicken bouillon cube
Although you may not be able to find a canari, you can absolutely make kedjenou in a Dutch oven or a tagine. You may or may not include oil, as the smothering cooking technique allows cooking without any fat. . This can be made on stove top, in your oven, or even your slow cooker.
How To Bake Kedjenou In Your Oven
After layering your chicken and vegetables, just put the dutch oven in a preheated oven at 350°F for an hour, or until chicken is fall off the bone. Shake the pot once or twice without opening the lid.
How To Use Crock Pot For Kedjenou
Dump everything in your slow cooker and cook 3 hours on high or 5-6 hours on low and forget it till it’s done.
What Do I Serve Kedjenou With?
Ivoirians love their stew with a side of attiéké, which is a cous cous like dish made from fermented and grated cassava or yucca root. It is one staple that goes with anything in Côte d’Ivoire. If you want a super authentic experience, you can find it some African specialty grocery stores. Otherwise, it goes great with rice. That worked for us. 
What Variations of Kedjenou Can I Try?
You can try the same recipe for other meats, though the cooking time will vary. Sometimes fish or shell fish is added along with the meats.
Some people first fry the chicken in a little oil to get the brown color to add extra flavor. Other vegetables that commonly find their way into this pot are carrots, potatoes and okra.
Facts About Kedjenou
- Attiéké is a couscous-like side dish made from grated and fermented cassava. Instant boxed versions can be found in many Middle Eastern or African ethnic markets.
- Kedjenou can also be cooked on the stovetop. Bring the ingredients to a simmer over medium heat. Then reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. You will need to shake it a little more often than the oven-baked version to keep it from sticking.
- Lower-fat Version: Remove the skin from the chicken and add 2 or 3 tablespoons of peanut oil.
- Some (mostly French) recipes call for first browning the chicken in peanut oil and saute the onions. While this adds flavor to the dish, it is not strictly authentic.
- You can add 1/2 cup water or chicken stock to the pot at the beginning if it looks way too dry. The tomatoes should give off enough liquid though that this shouldn’t be necessary.
Enjoy your stew!
Kedjenou
Ingredients
- Chicken cut into serving pieces
- Eggplant seeded and chopped
- 1 large Tomatoes seeded and chopped
- 2 or 3 Onions thinly sliced
- 2 Hot chile peppers chopped
- 2 or 3Garlic, minced
- 2 or 3 cloves
- Ginger minced
- tbsp Thyme
- Bay leaf
- Salt and pepper to season
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Add all the ingredients to a large oven-proof pot with a tight-fitting lid. Cover the pot with one or two layers of aluminum foil and place the lid on top of the foil.
- Place the pot in the oven and bake for 2 to 3 hours.
- Remove the pot from the oven occasionally and shake it to keep the chicken from sticking.
- Remove the pot from the oven. Let it rest for about 10 minutes.
- Serve hot with couscous, attiéké (see note), rice, or boiled yams.
