Poulet DG (Cameroonian Chicken with Plantains)

About This Recipe

Poulet DG — short for poulet directeur général, 'the general manager's chicken' — is one of the most beloved dishes of urban Cameroon and considered the country's signature party dish. Chicken pieces are browned, then layered with deep-fried ripe plantain, sautéed bell peppers, carrots, onion, and tomato in a richly seasoned sauce of garlic, ginger, thyme, and a touch of bouillon. The name dates from 1970s Yaoundé and Douala, when the dish was considered fancy enough for company executives and only served on special occasions. Today it is the star of Cameroonian weddings, naming ceremonies, and Sunday lunch from Douala to Diaspora kitchens in Paris and Brussels — best eaten with the fingers, scooped up with extra plantain.

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 1.5 kgbone-in chicken pieces, cut into 8
• 4 largeripe yellow plantains (with black spots), peeled and cut diagonally into 2 cm slices
• 500 mlneutral oil, for frying plantains
• 3 tbspneutral oil, for the sauce
• 2 largeyellow onions, 1 minced and 1 sliced into half-moons
• 6 clovesgarlic, minced
• 2 tbspfresh ginger, grated
• 1Scotch bonnet pepper, deseeded and minced (or to taste)
• 2 largetomatoes, blanched, peeled, and pureed
• 3 tbsptomato paste
• 1 eachred, green, and yellow bell pepper, cut into 2 cm squares
• 2 mediumcarrots, sliced 5 mm thick on the diagonal
• 150 ggreen beans, trimmed and halved (optional)
• 2 sprigsfresh thyme
• 2 leavesbay
• 1 cubechicken bouillon (Maggi)
• 1.5 tspfine salt, divided
• 1 tspblack pepper
• 1 tspwhite pepper
• 200 mlchicken stock or water
• 2 tbspfresh parsley, chopped, to finish

Instructions

1. 1

   Season and marinate the chicken

   Toss the chicken with the minced onion, half the garlic, half the ginger, 1 tsp salt, both peppers, and 1 sprig thyme. Marinate 15 minutes (or overnight for better depth).

2. 2

   Fry the plantains

   Heat the frying oil to 170°C in a deep pan. Fry the plantain slices in batches 3–4 minutes per side until deep gold and caramelized at the edges. Drain on paper towels and salt lightly.

   The plantains must be ripe with black-spotted skins — green or yellow-only plantains taste starchy here.

3. 3

   Sear the chicken

   In a large heavy pot, heat 3 tbsp oil over medium-high. Brown the chicken pieces in batches, 4 minutes per side, until deeply golden. Remove and reserve.

4. 4

   Build the sauce

   In the same pot, reduce heat to medium. Add the sliced onion and cook 6 minutes until soft. Add remaining garlic, ginger, and the Scotch bonnet; cook 1 minute. Stir in tomato paste and cook 3 minutes until darkened.

5. 5

   Add tomatoes and stock

   Pour in the pureed tomato and cook 8 minutes until the oil starts to separate at the edges. Add the chicken stock, bay leaves, remaining thyme, bouillon cube, white pepper, and remaining 0.5 tsp salt. Bring to a gentle simmer.

6. 6

   Return chicken and braise

   Nestle the seared chicken back in. Cover and braise 20 minutes, turning the pieces once.

7. 7

   Add vegetables

   Stir in the bell peppers, carrots, and green beans. Cover and cook 8 more minutes — the vegetables should be tender-crisp, still with bite.

8. 8

   Fold in plantains and rest

   Gently fold in the fried plantains, taking care not to break them. Cover, turn off the heat, and rest 5 minutes for the plantains to absorb the sauce. Scatter with parsley and serve straight from the pot.

Variations

• •

  Poisson DG: replace the chicken with thick fillets of red snapper or grouper, browned and added only in the last 8 minutes.

• •

  Crevettes DG: a coastal Douala version made with large prawns instead of chicken.

• •

  Vegetarian DG: use thick slabs of fried tofu or king oyster mushrooms in place of chicken; everything else stays the same.

Storage

Refrigerate up to 3 days; the flavors deepen overnight. Reheat gently on the stove with a splash of water — microwaving turns the plantains rubbery.

Frequently Asked Questions