Ghanaian · main

Jollof Rice with Chicken and Shito

Jollof Rice with Chicken and Shito reads umami 7.6, richness 5.7 and salinity 5.5 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Ghanaian main, about 1 hr 37 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 8.4 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 2.7 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 2.5 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 1.2 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 6.6 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 4.3 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 7.6 · Richness 5.7 · Salinity 5.5 · Allium 3.7 · Heat 3.5 · Nutty 2.8 · Marine & Briny 2.7 · Warm Spice 2.5 · Sourness 2.3 · Sweetness 2.1 · Fruity 1.9 · Herbaceous 1.1 · Earthy 1.1 · Floral 1.0 · Bitterness 0.8

What's in it (15)

• steamed jasmine rice — 600 g
• chicken thighs — 800 g
• roma tomatoes — 500 g
• red onion — 150 g
• scotch bonnet chillies — 200 g
• fresh ginger — 30 g
• garlic — 12 g
• tomato paste — 70 g
• peanut oil — 110 g
• crayfish — 15 g
• bay leaf — 1 g
• freshly grated nutmeg — 5 g
• chicken stock — 700 g
• salt — 10 g
• freshly ground black pepper — 5 g

Time & effort: about 1 hr 37 min (1 hr 27 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 82.7 kcal, 6.2 g protein, 2.5 g fat, 9.1 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat · Contains seafood — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (10 steps)

1. Season the chicken with 1 teaspoon of the salt and the black pepper and let it sit 15 minutes at room temperature.
2. Heat 3 tablespoons of the groundnut oil in a heavy casserole over medium-high heat and brown the chicken in two batches, about 4 minutes a side, until the skin is deeply coloured. Lift the pieces out and set them aside.
3. Blend the tomatoes, onion, scotch bonnets, ginger and garlic to a smooth purée, about 2 minutes.
4. Pour the remaining oil into the pot and fry the tomato paste over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring, until it darkens from orange to brick red.
5. Add the blended purée with the bay leaves and nutmeg. Bring to a boil, then cook uncovered over medium heat for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until it has reduced by about a third and the oil separates and rises in a red slick on the surface. Do not shortcut this: under-frying the base is the single most common way Ghanaian jollof goes wrong, and it is what leaves the rice tasting raw and sharp.
6. Stir in the crayfish powder and the remaining salt.
7. Rinse the rice in several changes of cold water until the water runs clear, then drain it well for 3 minutes.
8. Tip the rice into the pot and stir for 2 minutes so every grain is coated in the base.
9. Return the chicken, pour in the hot stock, bring to a boil, then lay a sheet of foil over the pot, clamp on the lid, drop the heat to its lowest setting and cook undisturbed for 25 to 30 minutes.
10. Take the pot off the heat and let it stand, still covered, for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork, folding the browned bottom layer up through the rice. Serve with shito and fried plantain.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Amiwo (Spiced Cornmeal with Fried Chicken) — Beninese
• Chili Garlic Shrimp Stir-Fry — Chinese-American
• Shrimp and Okra Purloo — Southern · Lowcountry
• Scented Moroccan Lamb Stew With Couscous — Moroccan
• Sopa de Tortilla — Mexican

Keep reading: what umami, richness, salinity mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.