Ingredients:
*For the Nkrakra:*
2 kilograms (4 pounds 8 ounces) or 8-10 bone-in, skinless chicken thighs
3 tablespoonssustainable red palm oil
1 onion, finely diced
20 grams(0.7 ounces) fresh thyme sprigs
4 to 5 Guinea peppers, cracked open
1 teaspoonextra-hot chili powder
1 Scotch bonnet pepper, pierced
3 garlic cloves, finely diced
2 teaspoonsfine sea salt
300 milliliters(10 fluid ounces) Chalé Sauce (see below)
750 millilitersto 1 liter (1 1/4 pints to 1 3/4 pints) good-quality chicken stock
Freshly ground black pepper
2 inches (5 centimeters) grated fresh ginger
250 grams(9 ounces) white cabbage, sliced (optional)
100 grams(3 1/2 ounces) yam, peeled and diced (optional)
100 grams(3 1/2 ounces) carrots, peeled and diced (optional)
Sprig of cilantro, to garnish (optional)
Slightly toasted sourdough bread or fufu, for serving (optional)
*For the Chalé Sauce:*
200 grams(7 ounces) canned tomatoes or 300 grams (10 ounces) fresh tomatoes
1 roasted red bell pepper
1 tablespoontomato paste
1 small white onion, roughly diced
one 1-inch/2.5-centimeter piece fresh ginger, grated
1 small red Scotch bonnet chile (use half and deseed if you have a low heat tolerance, or substitute 1/2 teaspoon cayenne for a milder heat)
1/2 teaspoondried chile flakes
2 garlic cloves (optional)
Fine sea salt to taste
1 teaspoonextra hot Madras curry powder
1/2 teaspoonextra hot chili powder
Directions:
Place the chicken in a large, heavy-based saucepan or Dutch oven with the sustainable red palm oil, onion, thyme, peppers, chili powder, garlic, and 1 teaspoon of the sea salt. Cook together over a low heat, partially covered, until the juices start to run from the chicken.
Pour the Chalé Sauce over the chicken mixture, then cover and simmer for about 30 minutes.
Stir in the stock and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 1 hour until the chicken is tender. Season to taste with pepper.
Add your choice of vegetables, if desired, and cook until tender (approximately 30 minutes). Remove the sprigs of thyme before serving.
To serve: I love to serve this dish in a traditional Ghanaian asanka pot with a ball of fufu on the side, as it looks so inviting that way. You can also serve it on its own in a large bowl garnished with a sprig of cilantro, or with a slice of slightly toasted sourdough bread on the side.
Tip: If you’re happy to go low and slow while cooking, this dish is perfect for cheaper cuts of chicken such as from older hens or broiling hens—you get tons of extra flavor but need to slow cook for 3 to 4 hours over a low heat.
Place all the ingredients in a blender and blend together until you have a fairly smooth paste.
This is your Chalé Sauce. Throughout Zoe’s book there are references to adding Chalé Sauce, so she recommends making a big batch and freezing in smaller quantities to make many of the stew and sauces recipes much faster to re-create at home. Use straight away, or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, or freeze for future use.