How about some Afro-chic in your culinary life? This exotic but easy dish was gleaned by South African artist Natasha Barnes, who learnt to cook the dishes she liked as she travelled the globe. ‘Zanzibar produces some of the world’s best cloves and the air is pungent with the sweet smell. The combination of coffee and cloves makes a fantastic marinade for chicken,’ she says.
Photo: Patrick Royal | Stylist: Natasha Barnes
What you need (serves 4)
1 whole chicken or 8 chicken pieces
2 tbsp tomato sauce or tomato puree
1 tsp chilli powder
60ml brown sugar (leave this out if you don’t do sugar!)
juice of 2 medium limes or 1 lemon
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
5 cloves garlic, crushed
½ tsp ground cloves
½ tsp ground mixed spice
2 tsp strong instant coffee (or 2 tsp real coffee, dissolved in water to make a paste)
1 tsp dried green peppercorns, crushed
1½ tbsp olive oil
What you do
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Mix all the marinade ingredients together and marinate chicken for 2 hours.
Transfer the chicken to a roasting tray, cover loosely with foil and bake for one hour.
Discard foil, return chicken to oven and cook for a further 30 to 45 minutes. Baste frequently with leftover marinade.
Alternatively, braai (barbeque) the chicken in a kettle braai, following the same method above.
Tips
- Use good quality granular coffee with a strong aroma
- Don’t be tempted to substitute black pepper for the dried green peppercorns: you can usually get them at a good supermarket
Buy the Book
Find more of Natasha’s recipes in The Culinary Adventures of a Travelling Cook (Struik Lifestyle)