Cameroonian
Gluten free
SpicyKati kati
Grilled chicken in palm oil
Kati kati: Kom country's grilled chicken, chopped and finished in red palm oil, with fufu corn
From Kom country near Bamenda, kati kati is chicken cooked twice: first grilled over open coals until smoky and charred in places, then chopped and simmered briefly in red palm oil with onion and hot pepper until every piece is lacquered. It turns up at celebrations in the North West and in Bamenda chop houses, always with fufu corn and a heap of njama njama. The flavour is smoky, rich and fiery, and the sauce is thick enough to cling, not pool. A charcoal grill gives the best flavour, though a hot oven grill works well. Chef's tip: chop the grilled chicken into small pieces before it goes into the pot, so the palm oil sauce reaches every surface.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 55 min
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Serves
- 4
- Per serving
- 650 kcal
Ingredients
- 3 ⅓ lb whole chickencut into 8 pieces
- 1 oz fresh gingerchopped
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- ¼ cup red palm oil
- 1 onionsliced
- 1 cup water
- fufu corn and njama njama (optional)to serve
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Blend the 4 garlic cloves, 1 oz fresh ginger, 1 Scotch bonnet chillies and ¾ tsp salt with 2 tbsp of the 1 cup water. Rub all over the 3 ⅓ lb whole chicken, cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour, or overnight.
5 minStep 2: Grill the chicken over medium-hot charcoal, or under a hot oven grill, for 25–30 minutes, turning often, until the skin is browned and charred in spots. It does not need to be cooked through yet.
28 minStep 3: Move the chicken to a board and chop each piece into 2–3 smaller pieces with a heavy knife or cleaver. Wash the board and knife straight after, as the meat may still be raw inside.
Step 4: Warm the ¼ cup red palm oil in a heavy pot over a medium heat for 2 minutes, add the 1 onion and the rest of the pepper, finely chopped, and cook for 4 minutes until soft.
6 minStep 5: Add the chicken, the remaining salt and the rest of the water. Cover and simmer over a low heat for 20–25 minutes, turning the pieces often, until the sauce has reduced to a thick red coating and the chicken reaches 165°F in the thickest part, with clear juices. Adding too much water is the usual mistake: kati kati should be glazed, not soupy.
22 minStep 6: Serve hot with fufu corn and njama njama.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 650 kcal
- Protein
- 46 g
- Carbs
- 4 g
- Fat
- 50 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does kati kati take?
- About 75 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 55 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- What can I use instead of garlic cloves?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
- What can I use instead of fresh ginger?
- ¼ tsp ground ginger per tbsp fresh (add it with the spices).
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