Written by Megan Rash and Precious Meshi Nkeih
Cameroon is on the brink of civil war, as tensions between the English-speaking minority and French-speaking majority continue to escalate. Hundreds of thousands of English-speaking Cameroonian refugees have been displaced, and many of the ones who stay live in fear of persecution and violence. The country is also feeling the effects of armed conflict in Nigeria that is spilling over the border. Not only are Cameroonians being displaced internally over the armed conflicts, Cameroon is hosting thousands of Nigerian refugees seeking protection. At the same time, Nigeria is also hosting many displaced Cameroonians.
At Miles4Migrants, we helped 262 Cameroonians reach safe homes through pledged frequent flyer miles and credit card points. Already in March, we have already booked 11 flights for Cameroonians.
But the humanitarian crisis should not overshadow the beauty of the country, full of vibrant culture.. Today, we are sharing a recipe by a Cameroonian blogger, who lives in the United States, to highlight some of this vibrant culture that Cameroonians bring to their new communities. Precious Meshi Nkeih is the creator of Precious Core, which is a blog where she shares Cameroonian cultural information, recipes, advice, and stories of her life. Precious writes that she loves when other people from different nationalities try Cameroonian food because it is “love at first bite.” Time to add Poulet DG to your recipe list!
“Poulet” means chicken in French, and “DG” is the French acronym for Directeur General, which means CEO, so the dish translates to “The CEO of Chicken.” The dish includes fried plantains and ripe chicken– ingredients that were rare and a delicacy mainly reserved for the Cameroonian CEOs, hence its name.
Ingredients:
- 4 large ripe plantains
- 1 chopped onion
- 1 whole chicken
- 8 medium tomatoes
- Fresh ginger
- 8 garlic cloves
- ½ teaspoon ground white pepper
- 4 small seasoning cubes (Maggi)
- 1 celery stalk
- 3 green onions stems
- 8 parsley stems
- 2 medium carrots
- Handful of green beans
- 1 bell pepper
- 2 cups vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 habanero pepper (optional)
Recipe:
This one pot dish is fried chicken and fried plantains soaked in a tomato sauce garnished with your choice of vegetables. First you grill or fry the chicken (make sure you save the stock!) and then fry the plantains. Then you simmer the saved stock, onions and tomatoes to make the soaking sauce. Add in the vegetables you want! Don’t forget to make a delicious spice blend to compliment the dish!
On her blog, you can find a printable version of the complete recipe, step-by-step instructions paired with photos, a video of her making the dish, and more history on Poulet DG.
She ends her recipe by writing: “Here are some of things you should discuss while eating this meal:
- Your building project in Nsimalen
- Your container on the high seas
- All the contracts you are to sign
“Remember this meal is for CEOs and you my friend, are a CEO in your own right.” – Precious Meshi Nkeih