My Culinary Journey: Episode 3 - Central African Republic

The Central African Republic. I didn't know it existed. Obviously, I knew there were some countries located in the central regions of Africa, but I certainly didn't know which ones. I didn't spend much time researching the history of the country itself, as I found myself completely lost in all the intricacies of the region itself and how each country has a seemingly different yet similar culinary palette and menu. This food was originally from one country but was adopted by C.A.R., etc., and so forth. That being said, I eventually just had to make a command decision based on my breadth of research. I chose dishes that were unsurprisingly from C.A.R. but also the surrounding countries. So was the theme of the entirety of this journey.

What stood out to me in my recipe research? Kanda, Moambe Chicken, and Beignets de Bananes. First up is Kanda, a beef and pumpkin seed meatball served in an African tomato sauce with rice. Next, Moambe Chicken which is a stewed chicken dish with a strong African flavor profile of palm oil and peanut butter. Lastly is a banana fritter or beignet-style fried dessert. We had ample bananas on hand, so it was high on my priority list to use bananas specifically. (And, peanut butter and banana? C'mon!) After all, I'm mainly about saving money by using what I have when applicable. That brings us to palm oil.

Palm oil was something that I had to special order online. Through this short journey so far, I'm finding that there is usually at least a single ingredient that I have to specially source just for these dishes for each country. This is part of the fun, and the exception to the "go cheap by using what I have on hand" rule. It's fun to splurge (that's what she said) once in a while. Back to palm oil... It arrived and I thought it had gone bad somehow because it was semi-solid. Think bacon grease in a pan for an entire day. It was also very red. I knew it would be that color from the research I did, but it still didn't prepare me for when I actually saw it. It was almost like a solidifying bottle of hot sauce.

A dab on my finger to taste. Disgusting. All the regerts. Why the heck is this stuff so weird? I was able to discover that the brand I used was considered from an ethically sourced origin. I didn't even know that was a thing. Giving me blood diamond vibes suddenly. Were there children harmed in the production of this bottle of palm oil? Not according to the seller. Moving on. I floated the bottle in a hot water bath for a bit to get it to liquify enough to coax it out from the bottle. The smell. Wow! Ok, we're here now. Suddenly I get vibes of certain ride shares past that smelled similarly pungent. 'Nuff jibber jabber. Let's cook something new.

Kanda - (Beef and Pumpkin Seed Meatballs in Tomato Sauce)

Meatballs

• 3 cups pumpkin seeds - fine powder

• 1 1/2 lbs. ground beef

• 1 small onion - chopped

• 7 garlic cloves - chopped

• 1/2 cup cold water

Sauce

• 1/4 - 1/2 cup palm oil

• 1 onion - thin sliced

• 4 large tomatoes - peeled/seeded/diced

• 1 - 2 chili peppers - seeded/minced

• 1 1/2 cups water

• Salt & pepper - to taste

• Parsley - stemmed/rough chopped

1. Grind pumpkin seeds into a fine powder. (I was unsure of exactly how fine of a powder was required. I believe in the end that I should have ground it up more. The texture was a bit "off" to me, kind of gritty. The feeling I get on my teeth after I eat a bunch of sunflower seeds at a ball game, kinda grimy.) Add beef, onion, and garlic and pulse in a blender until smooth. You can add up to 1 cup of water if it's too dry.

2. Chill the mixture in the fridge for 30 - 60 minutes.

3. For the sauce: Palm oil in a pan on medium heat. Add onions and cook until golden brown in color. (Most recipes lie to you and tell you that it takes around 6 - 7 minutes. It actually takes closer to 20 minutes to be honest.)

4. Add tomatoes and peppers. Cover and cook about 5 minutes longer.

5. Add 1 1/2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer.

6. Take the chilled meatball mixture and form it into uniform-sized balls (about golf ball-sized). Place meatballs in the sauce.

7. Cover and simmer meatballs in the tomato sauce on medium/high heat for about 10 minutes. Stir occasionally. (I either made too many meatballs or tried to cook too many in the pan at once. If I had to change something, it would be to slightly enlarge the meatballs but make fewer of them.)

8. Reduce heat to medium for an additional 20 minutes. Reduce the heat once again to medium/low heat for a final 30 minutes. (Adjust these times based on how much liquid is left in the pan, I had to shorten the last time by nearly 15 minutes because they were going to burn. Additionally, I may try adding extra liquid during the simmering process.)

   
   

I think the pumpkin seed aspect of this recipe was really what drew me to it. That being said, I really didn't like it much. The texture mixed with the unique flavors just didn't do much for me. Leah was neither here nor there on them, but her mother absolutely loved them. I'm unlikely to revisit this dish.

Moambe Chicken (Congo Poulet Moambe)

• 2 lbs. chicken - breast (I used legs/thighs because, dark meat!)

• 1/2 onion - chopped

• 2 cloves garlic - minced

• 1 cup tomato sauce

• 3 tbsp peanut butter

• 1/2 cup palm oil

• 1/2 tsp cayenne

• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1 tsp chicken bouillon

1. Wash and pat dry the chicken. (Again, I washed and cleaned the chicken using a traditional method of hot water, vinegar, lemon juice, limes, and salt. I think I will forever prepare my chicken this way going forward.)

2. Brown the chicken in a pan in med/high heat palm oil for about 2 - 3 minutes per side. Remove from pan and set aside. (I did a poor job of drying off the chicken which I believe caused this time to nearly double.)

3. Sauté the onions for about 10 minutes. Add garlic. Cook an additional 1 - 2 minutes.

4. Add tomato sauce and seasonings. Stir to mix.

5. Add chicken back to the sauce. Stir and bring to a boil.

6. Reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes. (You can add water as needed to keep the chicken from drying out.)

7. Remove the chicken and add the peanut butter to the sauce. Mix in well. Add the chicken back into the sauce and simmer all together for 5 - 10 minutes on low heat.

This was a recipe that called to me because of the peanut butter it incorporated. I haven't traditionally enjoyed peanut butter flavors when mixed with anything other than chocolate and fruit jelly (PB&J for life!). For instance, I'm not a fan of peanut sauce. I'm always looking to expand on my culinary horizons though, so I often try things I don't necessarily think I'll enjoy. Sometimes a certain dish changes my mind in just the right certain ways. When all was said and done, it wasn't the peanut butter that stood out nearly as much as the palm oil flavor. This recipe was heavy on the palm oil flavor and it was unmistakable. The entire kitchen smelled of it. I actually had to open the doors and windows, it was THAT strong of a smell (or maybe just pungent and THAT new to me). It certainly was one for the record books, and not in the best ways. I will say that I enjoyed Moambe chicken and would revisit it.

Beignets de Bananes (Banana fritters)

• 4 ripe bananas - sliced in coins

• 6 tbsp flour - all-purpose

• 1 tbsp sugar

• Salt - a pinch

• 1 egg - separated

• 1 lime - finely grated zest

• 1/2 cup milk

• 1 tsp butter

• Powdered sugar - as topping

• Oil for frying - NOT palm oil

1. Sift together the salt, sugar, and flour.

2. In a bowl, form a well in the center of the flour mixture. Add the egg yolk. Mix.

3. Add and whisk in the milk and butter until lump-free.

4. In a separate bowl beat an egg white stiff. (I absolutely failed to get stiff peaks.)

5. Fold the lime zest and egg white into the batter mixture.

6. Heat oil in a pan on medium heat. About 2" or more so that they float while cooking. (As I fried more, the oil level dropped and eventually the fritters came out with some black gritty bits on one side from sitting on the bottom.)

7. Dip the banana coins in the batter and immediately and gently submerge them into the hot oil. Turn every 30 seconds or so until they are a golden-brown color.

8. Remove from oil and drain on a plate with paper towels. Once cooled, sift powdered sugar over them. (Applying the powdered sugar when directly out of the wet oil resulted in the oil soaking into the sugar, subsequently resulting in a second heavier layer being applied. Good for sugar lovers, bad for technique.)

These were introduced via the heavy historical French influence in the region. I made them in batters of varying thicknesses and had more success with the thinner batter. Thicker batters resulted in longer cooking times (not sure if this is methodology or science-based ingredients at play). They were delicious anyway. They were soggy very quickly. I'm still learning baking/frying. Oil isn't really my best friend in that department.

All in all, Central African Republic (CAR) was full of new ideas and flavors. Pumpkin seeds in meatballs? Peanut butter with my chicken? What's a palm and why do we use its oil? Why are so many dishes labeled as CAR dishes but also as being from this or that country? I had to use some judgment here regarding what is considered "true" or traditional CAR recipes. I think that I will see this trend continue in future African nations' cuisine. It seems the nomadic nature of the regional peoples, mixed with the ongoing conflicts, displacements and relocations have all contributed to the cultural culinary buffet that is Africa. TIA, right?

What next? The Oracle says... Poland. Ahh, now there is something a bit more familiar. I served with quite a few Polish men in the International Legion. This should be interesting.

Poland. Coming soon.