Poulet DG (Cameroonian Chicken and Plantains)
The full name of this dish is poulet directeur général, translated from French as “chicken for the director general” and known in English as CEO chicken because it was often reserved for high-ranking officials, business elites and important guests. This meal of chicken, plantains and vegetables bound in a fragrant tomato gravy was often a marker of privilege and exclusivity, and is now common in Cameroon and its diaspora. It came about after Cameroon’s independence from its colonial era, in 1960 from the French and 1961 from the British, and is a point of pride with its blend of flavors from Cameroon’s different regions. Soft and crunchy vegetables take on the flavor of the surrounding broth, as does poulet (chicken). However, the shining star is the resplendent plantain. When just-ripe ones are fried and added to the stew, they enhance it, leaving pockets of sugary caramelized morsels. Admittedly, this is hardly a fast-paced dish to put together, but the result can impress someone spe
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