Ivorian · main
Kedjenou (Sealed-Pot Chicken)
Kedjenou (Sealed-Pot Chicken) reads allium 5.1, heat 4.4 and umami 4.1 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Ivorian main, about 57 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.
The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10
- Umami & Savory — 4.5 / 10
- Sweet & Fruity — 3.4 / 10
- Sour & Bright — 2.3 / 10
- Bitter & Earthy — 2.9 / 10
- Rich & Fat — 2.9 / 10
- Aromatic & Spice — 5.9 / 10
The measured notes (of 18)
Allium 5.1 · Heat 4.4 · Umami 4.1 · Salinity 4.0 · Richness 2.7 · Fruity 2.7 · Earthy 2.7 · Warm Spice 2.5 · Sweetness 2.5 · Sourness 2.2 · Herbaceous 2.1 · Bitterness 1.3 · Floral 1.3
What's in it (12)
- chicken — 1600 g
- onions — 450 g
- tomatoes — 500 g
- eggplant — 200 g
- garlic — 12 g
- fresh ginger — 30 g
- scotch bonnet chillies — 200 g
- bay leaf — 2 g
- salt — 10 g
- freshly ground black pepper — 5 g
- fresh thyme — 2 g
- attieke — 400 g
Time & effort: about 57 min · effort: medium
Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 78.8 kcal, 8.5 g protein, 3.9 g fat, 2.6 g carbs
Dietary: Contains meat — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.
How it's cooked (5 steps)
- Pack the chicken, onions, tomatoes, aubergine, garlic, ginger, whole scotch bonnets, bay leaves, thyme, salt and pepper into a clay canari or a heavy lidded casserole, layering as you go. Allow about 5 minutes. Add no water and no oil at all. Kedjenou cooks entirely in the liquid the chicken and tomatoes give up, and that is the whole point of the dish; a splash of stock turns it into an ordinary braise.
- Seal the lid on with a rope of flour-and-water paste, a doubled sheet of foil or a banana leaf, so no steam escapes.
- Cook over low coals, or in an oven at 160 C, for 45 minutes. Every 10 minutes, lift the whole pot and shake it in a circular motion to move the pieces around. Do not open it and do not stir with a spoon; opening the pot lets out the steam that is doing the cooking, and stirring shreds the chicken.
- Uncover, check that the chicken is cooked through, then boil hard, uncovered, 5 to 8 minutes, to concentrate the pooled juices into a thin, sharp gravy.
- Serve with attieke.
Dishes with a similar flavor shape
- One-Pan Chicken Enchilada Skillet — Tex-Mex
- Chili Mac Skillet with Melted Cheddar — American
- Bombay Potato and Pea Curry — Indian
- Potato and Cauliflower Curry (Aloo Gobi) — Indian
- Ground Turkey Enchilada Casserole — Tex-Mex
Keep reading: what allium, heat, umami mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.
See how this dish fits your palate — take the short taste test →
Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.