Photo by Nassima Rothaker
Nkrakra: Chicken light soup fufu by Zoe Adjonyoh
Chicken: 2kg or 8–10 bone-in skinless thighs
Onion: 1, finely diced
Thyme: handful of sprigs
Guinea peppers: 4–5, cracked open
Red chilli powder: 1 tsp extra-hot
Garlic: 3 cloves, finely diced
Sea salt: 2 tsp
Chalé sauce: 500ml uncooked
Chicken stock: 1l hot, good quality
Black pepper: freshly ground
Vegetables: 400g mixed, peeled (where appropriate) and diced vegetables, such as yams or sweet potatoes, carrots and white cabbage (optional)
Coriander: sprig to garnish (optional)
Canned tomatoes: 400g can or 600g (21oz) fresh tomatoes
Red bell peppers: 2 roasted
Tomato puree: 30g or 2 tbsp
Onion: 1 small, roughly diced
Ginger: 5cm piece fresh root ginger, grated
Scotch bonnet chilli: 1 small red (use half and de-seed if you have a low heat tolerance)
Chilli flakes: ½ tsp, dried
Garlic: 3 cloves (optional)
Sea salt: to taste
Cooking oil: 1 tbsp
Onion: 1, finely diced
Curry powder: 1 tsp
Red chilli powder: 1 tsp extra-hot
London chef Zoe Adjonyoh shares her recipe for a light and spicy, wholesome and warming broth. It's her 'go-to dish' for chilly winter days, and infallible for making her feel better when she's under the weather
Place the chicken in a large, heavy-based saucepan or flameproof casserole dish with the onion, thyme, guinea peppers, chilli powder, garlic and 1 teaspoon of the sea salt. Cook together over a low heat, partially covered, until the juices start to run from the chicken.
Pour the chalé sauce over the chicken mixture, then cover and simmer for about 30 minutes until the chicken juices run clear.
Stir in the hot stock and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 1 hour until the chicken is tender. Season to taste with black pepper.
Add your choice of vegetables, if desired, and cook until tender. You can remove the sprigs of thyme before serving.
I love to serve this dish in a traditional Ghanaian asanka pot with a ball of fufu on the side, as it looks so inviting that way. You can also serve it on its own in a large bowl garnished with a sprig of coriander, or with a slice of slightly toasted sourdough bread on the side.
Place all the ingredients except the ‘to cook’ ones in a blender and blend together until you have a fairly smooth paste.
Saute the onion until soft – add the spices and cook until all melded together. Add the blended tomato mixture and simmer gently for 35–40 minutes until the tartness of the tomatoes has cooked out.
Use straight away, or leave to cool then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, or freeze for future use.
