Poulet Moambé (Central African Chicken in Palm Nut Sauce)
Local name: Poulet moambé
In short: Chicken simmered in a thick orange sauce of palm nut cream, tomato, onion, garlic and ginger. A rich festive dish of Central Africa. It takes about 1 h 45 min in total and makes 6 servings.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 1 h 20 min
- Resting
- 20 min
- Total
- 1 h 45 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 485 kcal
Moambé is a rich sauce made from the pulp of palm nuts, and chicken moambé is a dish eaten across Central Africa, including the Central African Republic, for Sundays and celebrations. The palm nut pulp cooks down with onion, tomato, garlic and ginger into a velvety, deep orange sauce with a distinctive earthy taste. It is served with rice, boiled cassava or gozo, and sometimes with a little extra chili on the side.
Instructions
- Rub the chicken with the lime juice and 1 tsp of the salt. Leave for 20 minutes.
- Heat the oil in a large heavy pot and brown the chicken in batches for about 4 minutes per side. Set aside.
- Cook the onion in the same pot for 6 minutes until soft, then add the garlic, ginger and tomato paste for 2 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes. Whisk the palm nut pulp with the water until smooth and pour it into the pot.
- Return the chicken to the pot, add the whole chili and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 40 minutes.
- Cook uncovered for 10 minutes more, until the sauce is thick, the chicken reaches 74°C (165°F) and orange oil gathers on top.
- Add the remaining salt to taste, remove the chili and serve hot with rice, cassava or gozo.
Tips
- Canned palm nut pulp, also sold as palm nut cream or palm butter, is stocked by African and Caribbean grocers and online. Stir it well before using, since the oil separates.
- If you cannot find palm nut pulp, a rough stand-in is 3 tbsp unsweetened peanut butter plus 3 tbsp red palm oil. The taste will be different but still rich.
Questions and answers
What does palm nut sauce taste like?
Earthy, rich and slightly nutty, a little like a mild peanut sauce with a deeper, almost smoky note. The color is a deep orange.
Can I use fish or beef?
Yes. Fish needs only 15 minutes in the sauce, and beef needs about 1 1/2 hours before it is tender.
Does moambé freeze well?
Yes. Freeze for up to 3 months and reheat gently, stirring so the oil does not separate.
How long does it take to make Poulet Moambé (Central African Chicken in Palm Nut Sauce)?
About 1 h 45 min in total: 25 min of preparation and 1 h 20 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Poulet Moambé (Central African Chicken in Palm Nut Sauce)?
About 485 kcal per serving, with 30 g of protein, 12 g of carbohydrates and 35 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 485 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 30 g |
| Carbohydrates | 12 g |
| Fat | 35 g |
| Fiber | 3 g |
| Sugar | 5 g |
| Sodium | 700 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
