Azi dessi

Ingredients

Protein

• 1chicken, jointed into pieces
• or 1 kg firm fish, in thick pieces
• 1 teaspoonsalt
• black pepper

Peanut base

• 300 gunsweetened smooth peanut butter
• or 300 g groundnut paste
• 500 mlhot water, for loosening

Sauce

• 3tomatoes, blended
• 2 tablespoonstomato paste
• 2onions, chopped
• 4garlic cloves, chopped
• 3cm ginger, grated
• 1hot chilli, whole
• 3 tablespoonsoil
• 1stock cube
• 500 mlwater or stock

To serve

• plain white rice
• or akoume
• sliced onion

Directions

1. Use unsweetened natural peanut butter with no additives. Check the label for added sugar or palm oil. Joint the chicken into pieces on the bone. Season them well with salt and black pepper. For a fish version, cut it into thick steaks.
2. Season the fish and set it aside separately. Heat the oil in a large heavy pot. Get it properly hot before the chicken goes in. Brown the pieces well on all sides. Work in batches so they colour rather than steam.
3. Take them out and set them aside on a plate. Fry the chopped onions in the same pot. Cook them slowly for about eight minutes. They should soften and turn golden. Add the garlic and the grated ginger. Cook them for one further minute. Stir in all of the tomato paste.
4. Fry it for two minutes to cook out the raw taste. Pour in the blended fresh tomato. Let it cook down for about ten minutes. The oil should separate at the edges of the pot.
5. Put the peanut butter in a bowl. Add hot water a little at a time. Whisk it into a smooth thin cream. Work out every lump before it goes near the pot. Adding thick paste straight in leaves lumps forever. Stir the loosened peanut cream into the tomato base.
6. Add the remaining water or stock. Return the browned chicken to the pot. Add the stock cube and the whole chilli. Bring it slowly to a gentle simmer. Simmering it is long and needs stirring. Cover the pot and lower the heat right down. Let it cook for about forty minutes.
7. Stir it every ten minutes without fail. The chicken should become completely tender. Add hot water if it has thickened too far. Simmer it uncovered if it is too thin. Taste it and adjust the salt again. Serving it is done hot over rice. Ladle the sauce generously over the starch. Scatter sliced raw onion over the plate. It keeps three days refrigerated.

Technique

• Groundnuts reached West Africa from South America through Portuguese trade and became one of the region’s most important crops.
• Peanut sauces of this kind appear across West Africa under many names, including mafe in Senegal and groundnut soup in Ghana.

Substitutions

• Unsweetened natural peanut butter is the practical substitute for groundnut paste.
• Beef, goat or smoked fish can all replace the chicken.

Variations

• A version with smoked fish alongside the chicken is common.
• Some households add aubergine or okra to the sauce.
• Mafe in Senegal is the closest relative and adds root vegetables.

History

Groundnuts arrived from Brazil through Portuguese trade and became a Togolese cash crop; the Ewe name azi simply means groundnut.

Frequently asked questions

What is Azi dessi?

Azi dessi is a soup & stew from Togo: peanut sauce simmered with chicken or fish, poured over rice. Groundnuts arrived from Brazil through Portuguese trade and became a Togolese cash crop; the Ewe name azi simply means groundnut.

How long does Azi dessi take to make?

Azi dessi takes 25 minutes of preparation and 1 hour of cooking. The recipe makes serves 6. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Azi dessi?

Yes, within limits. Unsweetened natural peanut butter is the practical substitute for groundnut paste. Beef, goat or smoked fish can all replace the chicken.

What is the most important thing to get right in Azi dessi?

Season the fish and set it aside separately. Heat the oil in a large heavy pot. Get it properly hot before the chicken goes in. Brown the pieces well on all sides. Work in batches so they colour rather than steam.