![Chilled Tofu With Gochujang Sauce](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2024/07/25/multimedia/EK-Chilled-Gochujang-Tofu-hpvc/EK-Chilled-Gochujang-Tofu-hpvc-mediumThreeByTwo440.jpg?width=1280&quality=75&auto=webp)
Iwuk Edesi (One-Pot Rice With Chicken)
Updated Oct. 23, 2023
![Iwuk Edesi (One-Pot Rice With Chicken)](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2023/10/19/multimedia/19KOMOLAFErex3-kwlj/18KOMOLAFErex3-kwlj-articleLarge.jpg?width=1280&quality=75&auto=webp)
- Total Time
- About 1 hour 10 minutes
- Prep Time
- 10 minutes
- Cook Time
- About 1 hour
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
Advertisement
Ingredients
- 1 to 2yellow or red Scotch bonnet chiles or red habanero chiles
- 1tablespoon whole crayfish or dried shrimp, soaked in warm water for 10 minutes until plump, then drained, or ½ tablespoon ground crayfish
- ¼teaspoon fresh or dried irú, soaked in warm water for 10 minutes and drained
- ¼cup neutral oil, such as canola or grapeseed
- 3pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken parts
- Fine salt to taste
- 1tablespoon grated ginger
- 2garlic cloves, smashed
- ½cup red palm oil
- 2cups long-grain white rice
- 2¼ cups chicken stock
- 4cups torn hearty greens, such as ugwu, mature spinach, collards or kale
- ½small red onion, thinly sliced
For the Pepper Paste
For the Chicken and Rice
Preparation
- Step 1
Make the pepper paste: Working in batches if necessary, use a mortar and pestle to combine the Scotch bonnet chiles and crayfish. Pound to a coarse paste. Add the irú and pound further until incorporated to a smooth paste. Alternatively, do this step in a food processor and pulse to combine the ingredients until finely chopped. The pepper paste can be stored in an airtight container refrigerated for up to 1 week or frozen for up to 1 month.
- Step 2
Prepare the chicken and rice: In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium until shimmering, 1 to 2 minutes. Pat the chicken pieces dry and season both sides generously with salt. Working in batches, if necessary, place the chicken pieces skin side down in the pot and sear until deep golden brown on both sides, about 12 minutes total. (The chicken will not be cooked through.) Move the seared pieces to a plate and set aside.
- Step 3
Drain all but 2 tablespoons oil. Add the ginger and garlic, and stir until fragrant. Stir in the palm oil and pepper paste, and then the rice. Stir to coat every grain of rice in the seasoned oil. Add the stock. Scrape the bottom of the pot to loosen up any stuck bits, season with salt, and bring to a simmer.
- Step 4
Transfer the chicken to the pot skin side up, along with any liquid from the plate. Reduce heat to low. Cover and cook until the liquid is absorbed, the rice is tender, and the chicken is cooked through, about 18 to 20 minutes. Stir in the greens and allow to wilt and soften, 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let sit covered for another 10 minutes. Carefully fluff the rice with a fork. Divide the rice and chicken among plates, sprinkle on the red onion, and serve warm.
- Irú, a fermented locust bean product frequently used in West African cooking, can be found as a ground powder or whole beans in the spice aisles of any African grocer. Possible alternatives are fish sauce or fermented black beans.
Private Notes
Cooking Notes
I substituted 1 Tbs Japanese miso paste for the 1 Tbs minced dried shrimp and 1/4 tsp irú. I think the miso (which I had on hand) provides a nice umami flavor
I didn't see an explanation, but perhaps the author trusted our industriousness. Per Google, Irú is fermented locust beans.
Is there a substitute for the entirety of the pepper paste? Can I just buy something?
The information is right at the bottom of the recipe: "Irú, a fermented locust bean product frequently used in West African cooking, can be found as a ground powder or whole beans in the spice aisles of any African grocer. Possible alternatives are fish sauce or fermented black beans."
I googled and found its fermented locust beans that are added for major umami (like mushroom powder). https://www.burlapandbarrel.com/products/iru-fermented-locust-beans
Substitute 1 Tbs Japanese miso paste for the shellfish (and irú). Miso has a great umami flavor.
It's fermented locust beans, I googled it. I have never seen this and don't know what a good substitute would be (maybe Chinese fermented black beans?)
It's the Tip at the bottom of the steps. Also provides possible alternatives.
What is the point of pouring off the rendered chicken fat and then replacing it with red palm oil?
For those having trouble, irú: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iru_(food).
What is red palm oil and where do you get it? Any substitutes? So this recipe calls for 3/4 cups of oil plus the fat rendered from the chicken? Sounds like too much for me. Iru and its possible substitutions are given in the tips. No need to google. Other substitutions for exotic ingredients would be appreciated.
All the ingredients can be easily found on Amazon with multiple choices.
This recipe calls for irû. Other recipes of West African provenance found in the NYT and elsewhere call for dawadawa. I'm no authority on African cooking, but I am 99 percent certain that they are different names for the same thing (fermented locust beans). So, if you ran down dawadawa for another recipe as I did (vegetable maafé), don't bother looking for irû. You already have it.
Anyone have a substitute for making the paste, for single parents in a hurry?
Reddit to the rescue. Commentators are saying that any bouillon cube will do. Or Chinese Douchi. https://www.reddit.com/r/Nigeria/comments/k8508o/is_there_a_substitute_ingredient_for_irulocust/ https://www.reddit.com/r/West_African_Food/comments/rju3yb/what_can_i_use_instead_of_locust_beansiru/
Am I missing something in the instructions? I see how you make the pepper paste but not where you are supposed to use it. Is it a rub? Added to the sauce? I don’t see it. And how much of it?
@Myrna: The pepper paste is added with the palm oil in Step 3.
For the iru: You can buy it online from Burlap and Barrel. For the crayfish/shrimp: A vegetarian alternative is to use is dulse (a seaweed). I use it often and so I buy it online from a supplier in Maine, but you can also find it in natural food stores or Whole Foods. Toast it in the oven until fragrant and then crumble it; it gives a flavor similar to crawfish.
I wonder if Korean gochujang (fermented red pepper paste) would be an easy substitute.
While I'm unfamiliar with what iru tastes like, based on the other two ingredients for the pepper paste, I think gochujang would be much sweeter as a direct swap.
If you are looking for a good palm oil, appropriately sourced, I found Nutiva organic palm oil on Amazon. I use it all the time for beans, Congolese style, learned during my years in the Congo (when it was called Zaïre) with the Peace Corps. There’s nothing like it.
Red palm oil adds a flavor, color, and fragrance common to many west African dishes. A jar lasts a long time in the pantry. I would consider its earthy flavor essential for authenticity, but it is an acquired taste.
I used ghee instead with some annatto for colour. Palm oil is an incredibly destructive product and should not be used when there are alternatives available
For everyone asking about substitutions or where to get ingredients - nigerian ingredients have very distinctive tastes so there are NOT any good substitutions for any of these ingredients that will leave you with an authentic recipe --- however I recommend visiting your local african/carribean market as these are commonly found there (there are also online african markets - would NOT recommend amazon unless seller specifies where ingredients are sourced from)
I made this after hearing Yewande interviewed on The Sporkful. It’s a totally new taste for me, and it was like making a new friend. I ordered the iru and the palm oil, used fish oil for the fish. Because I don’t like things quite this hot and could not find scotch bonnet peppers, I just used about 1/2 a jalapeño. Next time I’ll be braver about the heat. My husband and I both loved this!
Regarding the question about Palm Oil, it is a flavorful addition, which to me tastes like bamboo smells. It is the distinctive flavor which elevates Brazilian Moqueca from a coconut based stew to a unique dish.
Following the instructions everything but the chicken was finished and the chicken needed another half hour in a dutch oven.
We like West African food. This was fine but far from great. I followed the recipe exactly, using the dried shrimp option and all the unusual ingredients. Despite containing two scotch bonnets, seeds and all, the dish had little fire. The flavors of all ingredients came through, but the predominant one was the red palm oil, which for me always has a slightly unpleasant petrochemical aspect. Some love it; I can tolerate it; as the main flavor in a dish, it leaves me wishing I'd chosen better.
A completely new and delicious experience for us. This is so good I ate too much! I ordered the iru from Amazon, later found that Burlap and Barrel has it. I substituted fish sauce for the crayfish, and turned the pepper heat down too far. I then added some chili crunch for serving. Next time: this needs 1/2 cup more liquid to get the rice done, could use a little less palm oil, maybe 1/3 cup, and go for one whole scotch bonnet pepper!
I used lacinato kale for the greens. Substituted the scotch bonnet with diablo grande pepper to reduce the heat and medium grain rice rather than the long grain, otherwise followed the recipe as written. The kale holds up nicely. It took longer than 20 minutes to get the rice soft and I added some of the left over liquid from soaking the shrimp and iru. The dish is a little too oily though very tasty. Next time reducing palm oil, increasing kale and doubling pepper shrimp iru paste
Made this dish and loved it. I substituted 5 anchovies for the dried shrimp as I couldn’t buy shrimp, and used fish sauce instead of iru. Also used the rendered chicken fat instead of palm oil, as it seemed way too much. Would like to know how it turned out for anyone else using the palm oil. Is it three-quarters of a cup or 3-4 cups ? Finally I placed in chunks of sweet potato and carrot with the chicken for final step to make it a one-pot complete meal - eat the colours of the rainbow.
I used the palm oil. The recipe calls for 1/2 cup. It's solid at room temperature and a nice orange color and has a very slight carrot taste. The finished dish, though tasty, was too greasy for me. I think you could safely substitute the chicken fat like you did or use another oil without changing the taste though you wouldn't get the color. Maybe add some annatto if you want the color.
This recipe calls for irû. Other recipes of West African provenance found in the NYT and elsewhere call for dawadawa. I'm no authority on African cooking, but I am 99 percent certain that they are different names for the same thing (fermented locust beans). So, if you ran down dawadawa for another recipe as I did (vegetable maafé), don't bother looking for irû. You already have it.
Advertisement