Oven-baked chicken in lemon, mustard and onion sauce

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 4 chicken legs
• 5 m.-sized onion(s)
• 3 m.-large carrot(s)
• 3 potatoes, or better still cassava or manioc
• 1 lemon(s)
• 2 tbsp mustard
• 2 cubes of stock
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp spice mix (Asian)
• Oil, neutral, e.g. sunflower oil
• e.g. chili powder
• 200 ml water

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Rest time approx. 3 hours; Cooking/baking time approx. 50 minutes; Total time approx. 4 hours 20 minutes

Chicken Yassa from Gambia

This is a typical dish from Gambia and Senegal. We’ve adapted it slightly so it can be easily prepared in the oven. Wash the chicken thighs and pat them dry. Score the thighs slightly so the marinade can penetrate well. Make a marinade from mustard, 1 stock cube, oil, about 1/4 of the lemon juice, and the spices. If you like it spicy, you should add chili powder. The marinade is very strong, which is desirable because it will later form the basis of the sauce. Brush the chicken thighs with the marinade and let it soak in for at least 1 hour, but 5-8 hours are better. It’s best to do this in a bowl so none of the marinade is lost. Peel the potatoes and carrots, cut them into pieces, and pre-cook them until al dente. The potatoes are part of the sauce, not a side dish. Peel the onions and cut them into half rings. Set the oven to grill and set it to 200°C. Place the thighs in a large baking dish and roast on the middle rack for about 50 minutes. To ensure the thighs become nice and crispy and do not burn, it is important to turn them every 5 minutes. In the meantime, mix the onions with the marinade remaining in the bowl. After 20 minutes, place the onions under the thighs, continuing to turn them regularly. After about 40 minutes, also place the pre-cooked potatoes and carrots under the meat. Dissolve the second stock cube in the marinade bowl with the water, add the remaining lemon juice and pour over the thighs. Return to the oven for another 10 minutes. It is important that the onions are cooked through. Therefore, only add the lemon juice at the end, otherwise the onions will not be properly softened. Depending on the size and doneness of the thighs, you can increase the temperature to 150°C (top and bottom heat) towards the end. Rice or couscous is traditionally eaten with this.