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Peppered Chicken

Also known as Peppered Chicken (Nigerian Style)

Peppered Chicken is one of the most universally prepared and deeply beloved chicken dishes in Nigeria — seasoned chicken pieces that are first parboiled in aromatic stock, then fried golden-brown and finally cooked in a richly spiced pepper sauce. The three-stage cooking method — boiling, frying, saucing — produces chicken with an extraordinary depth of flavour: the inside is perfectly cooked and tender from the initial boiling, the outside has a delicious golden crust from t

Peppered Chicken, Nigerian cooking

Ingredients

  • 1 whole medium chicken, cut into 8 to 10 pieces
  • 1 teaspoon of curry powder
  • 1 teaspoon of thyme
  • 1 teaspoon of ground Cameroon pepper
  • 1 big onion — half sliced for boiling, half for sauce
  • 3 seasoning cubes (Knorr), crushed
  • Salt to taste
  • Vegetable oil for frying FOR THE PEPPER SAUCE:
  • 4 big ripe tomatoes, blended
  • 2 Tatashe (red bell peppers), blended
  • 4 Atarodo (hot chilli peppers), blended
  • 3 cooking spoons of vegetable oil
  • 2 big handfuls of ground crayfish
  • Salt to taste

Method

  1. 01

    Seasoning and Parboiling. Season the chicken pieces with curry, thyme, Cameroon pepper, 2 crushed seasoning cubes and salt. Place in a pot with the sliced onion. Add just enough water to cover. Bring to a boil and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Do not overcook — the chicken will continue cooking later. Remove the chicken. Reserve the fragrant stock.

  2. 02

    Frying the Chicken. Heat enough vegetable oil for shallow frying in a wide pan over medium-high heat. Fry the parboiled chicken pieces in batches for 4 to 5 minutes per side until golden-brown and slightly crispy on the outside. The frying step adds colour, texture and flavour that cannot be achieved by cooking in sauce alone. Drain on paper towels.

  3. 03

    Making the Pepper Sauce. Heat 3 cooking spoons of oil in a wide pot. Add the blended tomatoes, Tatashe, Atarodo and the remaining sliced onion. Fry vigorously for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring regularly, until deeply cooked and oil floats on top. Add ground crayfish, remaining seasoning cube and salt.

  4. 04

    Finishing. Add the fried chicken pieces to the pepper sauce. Add 3 big tablespoons of the reserved chicken stock. Stir well to coat every piece. Cook on medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes until the sauce clings to the chicken. Taste and adjust all seasonings.

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