Of all the meats available in Zimbabwe, nothing says to your guests you are special like chicken. It is often reserved for guests and it is a whole process. When we were young and would visit my grandparents one of the highlights was running after and catching a chicken for dinner or lunch. Most rural homes have chickens that roam the households all day so they are difficult to catch.
In Zimbabwe most people call them huku yechiboyi loosely translated to black people’s chicken. It is a tougher meat compared to what you will normally find in the shops. You can not deep fry the or roast the chicken. It is common to boil the chicken for a long time then make a sauce. Taste depends on the age, personally I prefer one that is not too old.
My method is different. I brown the chicken first and put it aside.
Traditional Zimbabwean Chicken Stew
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 chicken cut into pieces
- 1 teaspoon dried Thyme
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon parsley dried
- 1 teaspoon basil
- 1 Bay leaf
- I chopped onion
- 1 chopped carrot
- 1 chopped bell pepper
- 1 cup tomatoes crushed
- 3 cups chicken stock
Instructions
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Add one tablespoon olive oil to saucepan on medium heat. Brown chicken pieces, do it in batches.
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Saute onions, herbs, carrots, garlic and peppers for about 5 minutes. Add back the chicken and stir.
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Add the cup of tomatoes and chicken stock, stir and let cook for 2- 3 hours or until tender.
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Add salt and pepper to your taste. Pick out the bay leaf and peppercorns and serve with Sadza, Rice or potatoes.