Palm Butter (Liberian Palm Nut Soup with Chicken and Rice)
In short: Chicken and smoked fish simmered in rich palm nut butter with onion and hot pepper, ladled over steamed rice, Liberia's national dish. It takes about 1 h 40 min in total and makes 6 servings.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 1 h 15 min
- Total
- 1 h 40 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 690 kcal
Palm butter is Liberia's national dish, cooked for Sundays, holidays and any gathering. The base is palm butter, a thick paste made from boiled and pounded palm nuts, which is cooked down with chicken, smoked fish, onion and hot pepper until the red oil rises to the surface. It is served over a mound of white rice, and every family has its own view of the right thickness. Canned palm butter makes it practical to cook anywhere.
Instructions
- Season the chicken with 1 tsp salt. Put it in a large pot with the onion, garlic, whole pepper and 800 ml of water. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 25 minutes.
- Spoon the palm nut butter into the pot, stirring until it dissolves. Rinse out the can with 150 ml of water and add that too. Bring to a gentle simmer.
- Cook, partly covered, for 30 minutes, stirring from the bottom every 5 minutes, because palm butter scorches easily. Lower the heat if it spits.
- Add the smoked fish and black pepper. Simmer for 15 minutes more, until the chicken is tender and reaches 74°C (165°F) in the thickest part, and red-orange oil shines on the surface.
- If the soup is too thick, add hot water a few spoonfuls at a time. For more heat, break the whole pepper against the side of the pot. Taste and add salt.
- Ladle the palm butter over rice and serve hot.
Tips
- Canned palm nut concentrate is sold at African, Caribbean and some French grocers, sometimes as sauce graine. Choose plain, unsalted concentrate. Coconut milk or peanut butter will not give the same flavor.
- Other meats are traditional too: smoked turkey wings, beef short ribs or crab. Add smoked meats at the start so they soften.
Questions and answers
What is palm butter?
It is a paste made from the fleshy part of boiled palm nuts, not dairy butter. Cooked with meat and fish it makes a rich, savory, orange-red soup with a slightly nutty taste.
Can I make Liberian palm butter ahead of time?
Yes. It tastes even better the next day. Refrigerate for up to 4 days and reheat gently, adding a little water.
What do you serve with palm butter?
Steamed white rice is standard. Some people also serve it with boiled cassava or dumboy.
How long does it take to make Palm Butter (Liberian Palm Nut Soup with Chicken and Rice)?
About 1 h 40 min in total: 25 min of preparation and 1 h 15 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Palm Butter (Liberian Palm Nut Soup with Chicken and Rice)?
About 690 kcal per serving, with 40 g of protein, 49 g of carbohydrates and 37 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 690 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 40 g |
| Carbohydrates | 49 g |
| Fat | 37 g |
| Fiber | 3 g |
| Sugar | 2 g |
| Sodium | 900 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
