Djenkoume (Tomato-Cornmeal Polenta)
Ingredients
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons red palm oil or olive oil
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- ¼ cup finely chopped red onion
- ¼ cup finely chopped bell pepper
- ¼ cup finely chopped tomato
- 1 tablespoon yazi spice (see below)
- Pinch baking soda
- 2 cups fine-grind cornmeal or maseca flour, toasted
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Method
- Bring the chicken broth to a simmer on the stovetop in a medium saucepan.
- Heat the palm oil in a medium sauté pan over medium heat. Stir in the tomato paste and cook until warm, about a minute. Add the onion, bell pepper, and tomato, followed by the yazi spice and the baking soda. Continue stirring and cooking until the vegetables are tender, about 3 minutes. Stir a generous spoonful of the tomato mixture into the broth and reserve/keep warm the rest for serving.
- Gradually stir the cornmeal into the simmering chicken broth and cook until the liquid has absorbed and the cornmeal is tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- The djenkome can be formed into a mound or spooned onto a plate with the reserved tomato sauce for serving. I like to spoon the djenkome into a ramekin and invert onto a plate on top of the sauce to serve alone or with fish, chicken or pork.
Yazi Spice, makes about ½ cup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons onion powder
- 2 tablespoons garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon ground fennel
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground caraway
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
Method
- Combine all of the ingredients. Store in a jar with a tight-fitting lid for up to 1 month.
To toast the cornmeal or maseca flour, pour into a dry cast iron skillet and heat over medium-low to medium heat, stirring often until fragrant and a light golden brown. Lower the heat as needed to keep from burning.
Yazi spice is an African blend made in central Togo, and is similar to other spice blends found throughout Africa. Every household has its version. (Think garam masala from India or ras el hanout from Morocco.) The recipe above is a simple version to make at home. It is preferable to purchase whole, fresh spices, toast them, cool, and then grind.
I learned how to cook from my mother growing up in Togo. Reading Jacques Pépin’s autobiography The Apprentice with her is what inspired me to become a chef. Later, watching his cooking shows is how I mourned her. This djenkoume is a traditional side dish that we made together. Toasting the cornmeal first adds a fragrant, nutty flavor.