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Chicken Pepper Soup
Chicken Pepper Soup is a traditional Sierra Leonean recipe for a classic stew of chicken with chillies in a tomato base. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Sierra Leonean version of: Chicken Pepper Soup.
prep time
20 minutes
cook time
45 minutes
Total Time:
65 minutes
Additional Time:
(+8 hours marinating)
Serves:
4
Rating: 
Tags : Chilli RecipesChicken RecipesFowl RecipesSierra-leone Recipes
This is the traditional Sierra Leonean recipe for a chicken pepper soup. A firmer chicken than the normal broiler/fryer is best for this, so I would suggest a Cornish game hen.
Ingredients:
1 chicken, jointed and skinned
1 medium yam
6 taro corms (cocoyam)
3 medium onions, finely sliced
4 garlic cloves
2 thumb-sized pieces of ginger
4 cloves
4 tomatoes
6 tbsp tomato purée
2 maggi cubes, crumbled
10 habanero chillies
sea salt, to taste
black pepper, to taste
Method:
Peel and cut the yam and taro into large pieces. Place in a large pan of water, then wash to remove any excess starch.
Discard the water then transfer the yam and taro to a large pan of simmering, lightly-salted water. Return to a simmer, cover and cook for about 18 minutes, until just tender (when a skewer inserted into the pieces pierces them easily).
Drain in a colander and set aside.
Combine the garlic and cloves in a mortar and pound to a paste. Place the chicken pieces in a bowl, add the ginger-garlic paste and half the crumbled Maggi cubes then season with 1 tbsp salt and rub the spices into the chicken.
Transfer to a pot, add just enough water to barely cover the chicken, then bring to a simmer.
In the meantime, add the chillies to a mortar and pound to a paste then add the onions and ginger, pounding everything to a paste. Separately pound the tomatoes to a paste.
Top up the water so it covers the chicken again, then stir in the onion and chilli paste along with the remaining crumbled Maggi cube.
Cook for 10 minutes then add the pounded tomatoes and tomato purée. Stir well to combine, return to a boil then season to taste with plenty of black pepper. Continue cooking for 20 minutes until the chicken is tender.
For the final 5 minutes, steam the yam and taro so it's hot.
Divide the yam and taro between four serving bowls, spoon over the chicken and the pepper soup liquid then serve.
