Braised Oxtail

Posted by Raissa Nebie on January 11, 2010 | 6 Comments

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I’m a big fan of oxtail. But every time I mention that I eat oxtail, I seem to get looks of surprise from my friends. If you’ve never had oxtail, you should give it a try before making a judgment. Oxtail is a bony and gelatinous, but very flavorful cut of meat that is best braised or stewed for hours. And though it is no longer as cheap as it used to be years ago, you can get some pretty good deals at Asian and Caribbean grocers.  The recipe I’m sharing is a great way to warm up during the cold winter days. It requires very few ingredients and the oxtail cooks in its own juice, resulting in a very flavorful stew. Read more

Filed under: African, Beef, Cooking

Chicken Mqualli with Preserved Lemons and Olives

Posted by Raissa Nebie on August 14, 2009 | 1 Comment

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Remember the preserved lemons I made back in July? Well, it’s been over a month and they are now ready to be used. And what’s a better way to use Moroccan goodies than in a Moroccan dish? It took me a while to find a good Moroccan cookbook. All the ones I found before were too westernized for my taste. So when I went to Morocco last summer, I made it my goal to find an authentic Moroccan cookbook. I ended up buying La Cuisine Marocaine (Moroccan Cooking) by Latifa Bennani-Smires, highly recommended by all the locals I asked. Read more

Filed under: African, Cooking, Poultry and Game Birds

Chicken Yassa, A Taste of the Senegambia Experience

Posted by Thrifty Gourmet on July 28, 2009 | No Comments

Today’s post is kindly brought to you by a reader and friend from London, England. Please welcome our Afropean foodie friend Nana-Adwo N’dow as she shares one of her favorite west African dishes with us.

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Yesterday, it rained… again! After so many years in the UK, this should not get to me, but I just could not help but think about when I last visited my family in Gambia. I was nicely greeted by ever-shining sun, beautiful scenery, relaxed pace of life and of course great food.

In an attempt to forget about the gloomy doomed weather, I thought to myself “if the Mountain will not come to the prophet, the prophet must go to the Mountain” and set out to make some Chicken Yassa. Before I go any further, I think it is of up most importance that I give you a short history lesson. Read more

Filed under: African, Cooking, Poultry and Game Birds

Moroccan Preserved Lemons

Posted by Raissa Nebie on July 8, 2009 | No Comments

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Preserved lemons are an essential ingredient in Moroccan cooking. From stews to salads, preserved lemons are used in a wide variety of north African dishes, including the ever so popular chicken tagine with green olives and preserved lemons. Though Moroccan preserved lemons are widely available in gourmet and specialty markets, the recipe is simple enough to be made at home and far more economical that the store bought products. Why pay $10 for a small jar of preserved lemons when you can make 4 times as many for the same price?

There are countless recipes for preserved lemons, but mine is rather simple. I got it from my friend’s aunt when I traveled to Morocco last summer. I suggest that you use organic or unwaxed lemons. The number of lemons needed varies depending on the size of the jar you use. Essentially, you want the lemons to be squished together. I generally use 3 lemons per pint size mason jar. Read more

Filed under: African, Condiments, Cooking

Gboflotos: A Sweet TrEAT Cote D’Ivoire and Holland Have In Common

Posted by Thrifty Gourmet on January 26, 2009 | 3 Comments

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Hailing from Cote D’Ivoire, I spent many of my teenage days snacking on yummy street foods ranging from alloco (fried plantains) to pain-brochette (beef kebab sandwiches), choukouya (chopped grilled meat) and poulet braise (barbecued chicken) among many others.

Today’s story began last night when I was taken by an intense feeling of nostalgia as I reminisced about the warm Ivorian weather and all the delicious food I used to eat back in Abidjan.  Sigh… In this cold and depressing New York winter exacerbated by homesickness, what’s a better way to get over the nostalgic blue than to indulge some of my guilty pleasures from the homeland? By that, I mean devouring a generous plate of Gboflotos, one of my favorite Ivorian sweet treats.

I wasn’t planning to write about my Gbofloto making experience on The Thrifty Gourmet, but I was left with no other choice after updating my Facebook status to “Rae is making Gboflotos.” Much to my surprise, this spurred a rather active wall conversation where I learned that Gboflotos are something Cote D’Ivoire and Holland have in common. In fact, a friend from high school wrote that she gets them every morning from a street vendor in The Hague. The Dutch version, which is traditionally eaten on New Year’s Eve and at street fairs, is called Oliebollen (oil balls). How cool is that? Anyway, for those of you who are still wondering, Gboflotos are fried dough balls that resemble the Louisiana beignets, except the Ivorian recipe doesn’t include eggs, milk and shortening.

Here’s my personal recipe for those who want to make it:

Preparation time: 15 mins
Rest time: 2-4 hrs
Cooking time: 10 mins

Ingredients

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2 Cups of flour
2 Cups of warm water
1 Heaping teaspoon of active dry yeast
1 Teaspoon of salt
3 Heaping tablespoons of sugar
1 Teaspoon of pure vanilla extract (optional)
Vegetable oil for frying

First, I activate the yeast by mixing it with ½ cup of warm water until the granules are dissolved. Then I add one tablespoon of sugar. Why? Because this feeds the yeast and causes it to grow faster.

After mixing all the dry ingredients in a bowl, I pour the yeast liquid over them with my left hand and use my right hand to mix the dough.

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I continue to mix by hand and gradually add the rest of the water with until I obtain a homogenous paste. Depending on my mood, I may choose to add a teaspoon of pure vanilla extract at this point. Since most African cooking is done from the soul, there is no set rule for the amount of water to be used. I play with the dough until my heart, my hands and the sound of the bubbles forming tell me I’ve attained the perfect consistency.  A few things worth keeping in mind are that a thick dough makes dense gboflotos (me no like) and a lighter one results in light and fluffier gboflotos (right on!).  Sometimes, there are small lumps in the dough, but I’ve learned not to worry about them because they all dissolve during the rest period.

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Now it’s time to cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and let the dough rest in a warm place for 2-4 hours until it expands and bubbles form. To ensure that no air gets in, I usually place a heavy plate on top of the towel.

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After the dough has risen, it’s time to fry it. Back in Abidjan, the frying is done in a round bottom pan. Here, the closest thing I can find to that is a wok. So that’s what I use. I fry the Gboflotos in batches of 6-8 until golden brown on each side…

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When they’re done, I drain them on a paper towel, then I dust them with powdered sugar…  Voila! The end result is 100% Abidjan Joie de Vivre for less than $10.00.

Filed under: African, Dessert

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