Senegalese Cooking Class

OVERVIEW

Learn to prepare one of Senegal’s national dishes in a hands-on cooking class at a restaurant in Dakar. Your culinary instruction will begin at a local market where you will gather the necessary ingredients for Chicken Yassa, a dish popular across West Africa. The chef will show you how to pick out the freshest, most flavorful ingredients such as lemons, olives and Scotch bonnet chili peppers. Although yassa can be made with lamb and fish, it is traditionally prepared with chicken in Senegal, where this comfort food dish originated. In essence, the chicken is browned, the onions are caramelized and the other ingredients are added in stages so as not to overwhelm the flavor. For instance, the hot chili peppers are put in as the very last step. Chicken yassa is typically served with a side of steamed white rice, but the chef may have another suggestion. When the dish is ready, it will be served for lunch.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Prepare the Senegalese national dish Chicken Yassa with the help of a restaurant chef.
• Follow the chef’s tips to select the best ingredients for the dish at a local market.
• Enjoy the freshly prepared Chicken Yassa for lunch and take home the recipe.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.