Poulet Bicyclette is a traditional Burkinabé (from Burkina Faso) recipe for a classic dish of slow-stewed village chicken with mixed vegetables and potatoes in a tomato, aubergine and chilli sauce. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Burkinabé version of: Poulet Bicyclette.
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'Poulet-bicyclette' is a popular French expression from sub-Saharan Africa to designate local poultry, not frozen and not imported, unlike the chicken commonly known in Benin under the term 'chicken-morgue'. These are the local chickens, left free range, and scavenging from plants and household scraps. The name itself comes from the vendors who travel the country on their bicycles with the chickens tied to it. Also known as 'bush chickens', these fowl are more gamey than the mass-produced variety (and are an integral part of Nigerian barbecue). They are also known as 'hard chicken' as they require prolonged cooking to make them tender. A lean Cornish game hen would be a fair approximation.
Versions of this dish using local chicken are known throughout Africa, though this specific version comes from Burkina Faso.
Ingredients:
1 village chicken (a Cornish hen would be a good approximation), jointed and cut into serving-sized pieces
2 onions, finely diced
3 garlic cloves, chopped
½ teaspoon ground ginger
2 bay leaves
vegetables (carrots, turnips, swedes, yam, eddoes etc) peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
2 potatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 aubergine (eggplant), cut into bite-sized pieces
1 Scotch bonnet chilli, chopped
a knob of butter
2 tbsp vinegar
salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
Method:
Wash the chicken then place either in a cast iron casserole (Dutch oven) or in a pressure cooker with the bay leaves, garlic, ginger and salt. Scatter over 2 tbsp of the onion, cover and cook until just tender (40 minutes stewing or 20 minutes pressure cooker).
Allow the chicken to cool until it can be handled then place in a bowl and scatter over the vinegar. Season to taste with salt and set aside to marinate for 10 minutes.
In the meantime, bring a pan of water to a boil. Add the root vegetables and potatoes to a steamer basket, set over the boiling water, cover with a lid and steam for about 20 minutes, until tender. Once cooked, turn out onto a plate and set aside.
To finish the chicken heat oil in a deep-sided frying pan, add the chicken and fry until nicely browned all over.
For the vegetable sauce, heat the butter in a pan. When foaming, add the onions and chilli pieces, frying for 2 minutes. Add the aubergine and tomatoes and continue frying for 5 minutes. Now add the steamed vegetables and fry for about 10 minutes, until hot through and lightly browned.
Season the vegetable mixture with salt and black pepper, turn into a warmed bowl and serve with the vegetable medley.
