Poulet à la Moambe

Name: Poulet à la Moambe
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 80 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Republic of the Congo
Ingredients: 1 whole chicken, cut into pieces; 1 cup palm nut (moambe) cream or concentrate; 1 onion, chopped; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 2 tomatoes, chopped; 1 hot chili; 2 bay leaves; 2 tbsp palm oil; salt and pepper, to taste; chicken stock, as needed

6 servings20 min prep60 min cookMedium Republic of the Congo

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The Story Behind It

The Tale of Poulet à la Moambe

Chicken in palm nut (moambe) sauce is considered a national dish across both Congos. Palm nuts are native to Central Africa and have been used in cooking for centuries, with this specific sauce style believed to have developed among Congolese communities well before colonial-era documentation began.

Ingredients

Scale:· 6 servings

1 whole chicken, cut into pieces
1 cup palm nut (moambe) cream or concentrate
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 hot chili
2 bay leaves
2 tbsp palm oil
salt and pepper, to taste
chicken stock, as needed

Instructions

1Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper, then brown in palm oil in a large pot.
2Remove chicken and sauté onion and garlic in the same pot until softened.
3Add tomatoes and chili, cooking until they break down into a sauce.
4Return chicken to the pot along with bay leaves and enough stock or water to nearly cover.
5Simmer covered for 25-30 minutes until chicken is nearly cooked through.
6Stir in the palm nut cream and continue simmering 15-20 minutes until the sauce thickens and turns a deep orange-red.
7Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
8Serve hot over steamed rice.

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