Version from Cameroon
poulet DG — Cameroon
Poulet DG is a Cameroonian sauté of fried chicken and pre-fried plantains with vegetables and aromatics, a complete dish rather than a side.
- 40 min
- Prep
- 40 min
- Cook
- 4
- Servings
- Medium
- Difficulty
Poulet DG combines fried chicken pieces with sliced, pre-fried plantains, along with vegetables (carrots, bell peppers, green beans) and aromatics (herbs, salt, tomato paste, sometimes a stock cube); it is a complete dish rather than a simple side.
This dish is reported from Cameroon, across the country's cities; the name is said to come from a 1980s play on words, with 'DG' standing for 'directeur général' (managing director), reflecting the dish's early association with people of social standing.
To prepare it, the chicken pieces are marinated and fried, the plantains are sliced and pre-fried separately, the vegetables are sautéed with garlic, ginger, tomato paste and a little stock, then the chicken and plantains are folded back in and tossed together over heat so the flavors combine.
Some cooks favor sweeter, ripe plantains, others prefer greener ones for a firmer bite; the vegetable mix and the level of spice vary from one household to another, though the dish is widely accessible today.
Preparation
Season the chicken pieces with salt, garlic and a little ginger, then fry them in hot oil until golden and cooked through.
Peel the plantains, slice them thickly on the diagonal, and fry them separately until golden.
In a clean pan, sauté the chopped carrots, peppers and green beans for a few minutes.
Stir in the tomato paste, crumbled stock cube and a splash of water, and cook for a few minutes.
Add the fried chicken and plantains to the vegetables.
Toss everything together over medium heat until well combined and heated through.
Serve hot, straight from the pan.
