{"id":118199,"date":"2023-09-20T17:29:33","date_gmt":"2023-09-20T17:29:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogcamlodipine.com\/?p=118199"},"modified":"2023-09-20T17:29:33","modified_gmt":"2023-09-20T17:29:33","slug":"the-queen-of-west-african-one-pot-recipes-has-entered-the-chat-the-denver-post","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogcamlodipine.com\/world-news\/the-queen-of-west-african-one-pot-recipes-has-entered-the-chat-the-denver-post\/","title":{"rendered":"The queen of West African one-pot recipes has entered the chat The Denver Post"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Yewande Komolafe<\/strong>, The New York Times<\/em><\/p>\n

Thieboudienne holds a special place among the cuisines of West Africa. This one-pot rice masterpiece is often referred to as the national dish of Senegal, yet its presence and popularity extend beyond any national borders. Its influence is powerful.<\/p>\n

So many of West Africa\u2019s other great one-pot rice dishes — Ghanaian waakye, Gambian benachin and Nigerian jollof, to name just a few \u2014 are direct descendants of thieboudienne (pronounced CHE-boo-JEN), named for the Wolof words for rice (ceeb or thiebb) and fish (j\u00ebn).<\/p>\n

Jollof rice\u2019s popularity, especially in the diaspora, can be attributed to how quickly it comes together, essentially a sped-up version of thieboudienne. A great thieboudienne, however, resists all shortcuts. A great thieboudienne is practically an all-day affair.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is the diva of rice cooked in a tomato broth,\u201d said Nafy Ba Flatley, a Senegalese cook and small-business owner in San Francisco.<\/p>\n

Thieboudienne is what I like to call a \u201cprocess\u201d recipe because each step is essential to the finished dish. To my palate, a great rice dish, with its flavors layered upon one another, is like a puzzle to be solved. It is not enough to scarf down heaped spoonfuls, although I do plenty of that. I try to piece together the herbs, spices, stocks and pantry staples that went into its creation. I love decoding the process of a dish — how it goes from simple ingredients to a subtle riot of my senses \u2014 and this is why I love thieboudienne.<\/p>\n

Originally developed in Saint-Louis, in the northwest coastal region of Senegal, where seafood is abundant, thieboudienne celebrates each ingredient in the pot.<\/p>\n

Herb-heavy rof perfumes and seasons the fish (chioff or thiof, an Atlantic white grouper); nokoss — a blend of onions, bell peppers, chiles and fresh tomatoes \u2014 thickens the rich tomato broth. The end result is tender vegetables and fish layered over fluffy rice. It\u2019s all garnished with xo\u00f1e, those bits of crunchy rice grains that, by proximity to heat, stick to the bottom of the pot. \u201cWe don\u2019t let it go,\u201d Flatley said. \u201cIt has to be scraped, all the way!\u201d<\/p>\n

To achieve sophisticated complexity, thieboudienne requires a confident hand in the technique of flavor development. It\u2019s an approach that can be used with many other great West African dishes. Shortcuts cannot be made.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey take their time,\u201d said Flatley of the cooks who\u2019ve made particularly memorable thieboudienne in Saint-Louis. \u201cThey start cooking at 9 a.m., and we won\u2019t sit down to eat until about 1 p.m. That\u2019s what makes it so special.\u201d<\/p>\n

In her San Francisco kitchen, it takes her a full two hours. She will make substitutions up to a point: Cauliflower can stand in for cabbage, but cassava and okra are required for her pot.<\/p>\n

The experience of cooking thieboudienne can also be collaborative. Many cooks will barter with neighbors for ingredients and enjoy the dish together as a celebratory meal.<\/p>\n

Late in my recipe testing process, I collaborated with my colleague Mia Leimkuhler in her kitchen in Montreal. She found some brilliantly fresh red snapper chunks from her local fishmonger, a bag of broken rice and a jar of tomato paste from the local grocery store. I brought a late-summer market selection of carrots, green beans, cabbage and chiles. We chopped, pulsed and cooked while a grueling tennis match played on the television in the background. The game cast a lively urgency over our preparations, and we eventually sat down to a deeply satisfying family-style meal.<\/p>\n

\u201cThieboudienne is the queen,\u201d Flatley said, adding, \u201cIt\u2019s soul food.\u201d<\/p>\n

RECIPE:\u00a0Thieboudienne<\/h4>\n

By Yewande Komolafe<\/p>\n

Thieboudienne holds a special place within the cuisines of West Africa. This elegant one-pot rice masterpiece is often referred to as the national dish of Senegal, yet its presence and popularity extend beyond any national borders. Rof, an herb-heavy marinade, perfumes and seasons fish steaks; nokoss — a blend of onions, bell peppers, chiles and fresh tomatoes \u2014 thickens a rich tomato broth. The end result is one pot of tender vegetables and fish layered over fluffed broken rice. Your choice of vegetables can be flexible; cabbage, okra and cassava are traditional, but squash, pumpkin, cauliflower or eggplants will all make adequate substitutes. Use what\u2019s in season and freshest. Serve this warm, family style from a large platter, garnished with xo\u0144e or xo\u00f1e, those bits of crunchy rice grains that, by proximity to the heat, stick to the bottom of the pot.<\/i><\/p>\n

Yield:<\/strong> 6 to 8 servings<\/p>\n

Total time:<\/strong> 2 hours<\/p>\n

Ingredients<\/strong><\/p>\n