Yassa Sauce

Name: Yassa Sauce
Prep time: 2 h 15 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 2 h 50 min
Cuisine: Senegalese
Ingredients: Onions, thinly sliced — 4 large; Fresh lemon juice — 100 ml (1/3 cup + 1 tbsp); Dijon mustard — 20 g (4 tsp); Garlic cloves, minced — 4; Vegetable oil — 80 ml (1/3 cup); Scotch bonnet pepper, whole — 1; Bay leaves — 2; Salt and pepper — to taste

The Quirky Foodster Team

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15 min (plus 2 hr marinating)

Prep

35 min

Cook

Ingredients

Onions, thinly sliced — 4 large
Fresh lemon juice — 100 ml (1/3 cup + 1 tbsp)
Dijon mustard — 20 g (4 tsp)
Garlic cloves, minced — 4
Vegetable oil — 80 ml (1/3 cup)
Scotch bonnet pepper, whole — 1
Bay leaves — 2
Salt and pepper — to taste

Method

Combine sliced onions, lemon juice, mustard, garlic, half the oil, bay leaves and scotch bonnet in a large bowl;
marinate at least 2 hours (or overnight) along with the meat or fish being prepared.
Remove onions from the marinade, reserving the liquid.
Heat remaining oil in a wide pan; cook onions slowly over medium-low heat until deeply caramelised and soft, about
20-25 minutes.
Add the reserved marinade liquid; simmer 10-15 minutes until slightly reduced and glossy.
Season with salt and pepper; remove scotch bonnet and bay leaves before serving over the cooked meat or fish.

Cultural Background: A tangy, deeply caramelised onion and lemon sauce from Senegal, yassa developed in the Casamance region and is traditionally used to marinate and then simmer chicken or fish, resulting in a distinctive sweet-sour, mustard-tinged flavour.

Tips: • Marinating the onions alongside the protein for several hours or overnight is essential to yassa's characteristic depth. • Keep the scotch bonnet whole to flavour without excessive heat, removing it before serving.

Variations: • Use fish instead of chicken for yassa au poisson, a coastal Senegalese variation. • Add green olives for extra briny complexity.

Storage: Refrigerate up to 3 days in an airtight container.

Reheating: Reheat gently over low heat, stirring occasionally. Nutrition (per serving) Approx. 70 kcal, 1 g protein, 5 g fat, 6 g carbohydrate per 100 g serving.

FAQs: What is yassa traditionally served with? Grilled or braised chicken (yassa poulet) or fish, served over rice. Can I reduce the marinating time? A minimum of 2 hours is recommended, though overnight marinating develops significantly deeper flavour.