Everyone has their version of this popular West African dish, so here’s ours. It’s filled with punchy, vibrant flavours and complements the equally spicy baked chicken perfectly.
Four of your 5 a day
Parboil the rice with 500ml of the chicken stock for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat; the rice will still be slightly hard.
Blend the pepper, onion, tomatoes and scotch bonnet to a smooth paste.
Pre-heat the oven at 190°C/fan 170°C/gas mark 5.
Heat the oil, and add the paste along with the curry powder, leaves from the thyme sprigs and bay leaves. Cook on a medium heat for 10 minutes.
Put the chicken pieces on a tray with a drizzle of oil and a spoonful of the sauce you just made for each piece of chicken. Bake in the oven for 35 minutes.
Add the parboiled rice to the sauce with the rest of the stock. Cover and cook for a further 15 minutes. Give it a stir after 10 minutes and add more stock if it feels sticky.
Once the chicken has cooked, add to the rice to serve up with some more of the fresh thyme.