Amiwo

Ingredients

• 300g fine white cornmeal
• 60ml red palm oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 tomatoes
• 3 tbsp tomato purée
• 2 scotch bonnet peppers
• 1 stock cube
• 1 tsp salt
• 900ml water
• 8 bone-in chicken thighs
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp groundnut oil
• 2 tomatoes, diced, for the moyo
• 1 small onion, finely sliced, for the moyo
• 1 green chilli, chopped
• 1 tbsp groundnut oil for the moyo
• 1 tbsp lemon juice

Before you cook

• Dice the large onion and mince the garlic.
• Blend the 4 tomatoes with the scotch bonnets to a smooth purée.
• Season the chicken thighs with the black pepper and half the salt.
• Whisk the cornmeal into 300ml of cold water to a lump-free slurry.
• Mix the diced tomatoes, sliced onion, green chilli, groundnut oil and lemon juice in a bowl for the moyo.

Steps

1. Heat the 2 tablespoons of groundnut oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat.
2. Brown the chicken thighs skin side down for 7 minutes.
3. Turn them and cook the second side for 6 minutes, then lift them onto a plate.
4. Warm the palm oil in a heavy pot over medium heat for 2 minutes.
5. Fry the diced onion for 5 minutes until soft.
6. Add the garlic and cook it for 1 minute.
7. Stir in the tomato purée and fry it for 3 minutes.
8. Pour in the blended tomato and pepper mixture with the crumbled stock cube.
9. Simmer the sauce for 12 minutes, until it thickens and the palm oil floats on top.
10. Ladle half the sauce into a bowl and set it aside for serving.
11. Pour 600ml of water into the pot with the remaining sauce and bring it to the boil.
12. Whisk the cornmeal slurry again and pour it into the boiling sauce in a thin stream, stirring hard.
13. Beat the mixture with a wooden spatula over low heat for 12 minutes, until it stiffens and pulls away from the sides.
14. Season with the rest of the salt and press the amiwo into an oiled dish.
15. Return the chicken to the reserved sauce and warm it through for 5 minutes.
16. Cut the amiwo into wedges and serve it with the chicken and a spoonful of moyo.