Isosi
As Assumpta Karire, from Gitega, Burundi, taught Lindsay Sterling in Portland, Maine.
Serves: 8
Cooking time: 1 hr
Note: The chicken and vegetables are in the photo above in the 6 o'clock position. They are served here with spicy rice called ipilau (at 12 o'clock in the photo), and Burundian spinach (3 o'clock).
Ingredients
- 8-12 chicken drumsticks
- 1-2 tsp salt
- 6 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1 chayote squash
- 1 onion
- 1 yellow summer squash
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 yellow bell pepper
- 1 green bell pepper
- 1 zucchini
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 2 + 3 bouillion cubes (she used Maggi brand) or 1 Tbsp Better than Bouillion
- 2 tsp spice mixture (see below)
- 1/2 cup water
Spice mixture:
- 1/2 tsp whole coriander
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 4 whole allspice
- dash ground nutmeg
- 3 whole cloves
- 2 green cardamom pods
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp whole black pepper
Instructions
1. In large pot cover drumsticks with water and boil for about twenty minutes. While chicken is cooking, cut up all your vegetables into one-inch cubes. Blend the spices for the spice mixture in a spice grinder (a coffee grinder dedicated to non-coffee flavors). If you have more than you need, simply put it in a small jar or ziplock for use again later. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Strain the chicken and let it cool to the touch. Discard chicken skins and put the chicken in a bowl. Add 1/2 tsp pepper to chicken and 2 crushed bouillon cubes or (if you don't like MSG) 1-2tsp salt. Grate 3 cloves garlic over the chicken. Massage the flavorings into the chicken. Using your fingers, pierce the thickest parts of meat and stuff garlic in the slits. Cover a sheet pan with tinfoil and place drumsticks on it evenly spaced. Bake for 20 minutes until chicken is a little bit crusty and golden.
3. In a large pot on the stove, saute the vegetables with 2 tsp spice mixture in oil. After a couple minutes, add ½ cup water, and 3 bouillion cubes or 1 Tbsp Better than Bouillion (for those who don't want MSG), and cook with the lid on. After ten minutes, grate 3 cloves of garlic into the vegetable pot. A couple minutes later when vegetables are soft and juicy and garlic is cooked, remove from heat.
4. Serve baked chicken with saucy vegetables. Assumpta served them with Burundian spicy rice and spinach with smoked fish. Click at right for those recipes.