Destination
Mombasa
The story
Supu ya kuku ("chicken soup") is Kenya's Sunday-lunch chicken soup: a whole chicken (or bone-in pieces) simmered slowly with onion, ginger, garlic, cumin, coriander, lime and a small handful of chilli, until the meat pulls off the bone and the broth is a rich, deep golden liquid full of aromatic depth. Served in a wide bowl with a mound of mashed potato on the side (Kenyan mashed potato is called irio in some parts, or a plain buttery mash in others), a slice of avocado, and a scoop of steamed sukuma wiki (collard greens) alongside. A specifically Kenyan family Sunday tradition.
Method
Warm the oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Season the chicken pieces with salt. Brown 3 to 4 minutes per side until deep gold. Lift out and reserve.
Reduce the heat to medium. Add the onions to the pot and cook 8 to 10 minutes, stirring often, until deep golden.
Add the garlic, ginger, spring onions, cumin, coriander, turmeric and chilli powder. Cook 1 minute until fragrant.
Add the tomato and tomato paste. Cook 6 to 8 minutes until the mixture is thick and jammy.
Return the browned chicken to the pot. Pour in the stock, add the bay leaf and salt. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover partially, and cook 45 to 60 minutes over low heat, until the chicken is fork-tender and the broth is rich.
Off the heat, stir in the lime juice and most of the coriander (save some for the plates). Taste for salt and pepper.
Ladle into wide bowls with a chicken piece and generous broth. Scatter with remaining coriander and sliced spring onion greens. Serve with a mound of mashed potato on the side, a scoop of sukuma wiki, slices of avocado and chilli sauce.
Tips
- Brown the chicken first. The deep browning on the chicken pieces builds the fond in the pot that gives the finished broth its rich colour and depth. Skipping this step gives you a paler, thinner soup.
- Cook the onions properly. 8 to 10 minutes of slow onion cooking is what turns them into the sweet base that carries the soup. Rushed onions give you a thinner, less integrated broth.
- Lime at the end, not the start. Adding the lime juice off the heat preserves its bright acidity. Cooking lime juice for an hour dulls it to almost nothing.
- Mashed potato on the side is the Kenyan touch. Rice works, but mashed potato is the specific Kenyan Sunday plating. Buttery, well-salted, comforting mash.
- Sukuma wiki is the traditional vegetable partner. Steamed or lightly-sautéed collard greens (sukuma wiki, literally "push the week") are the Kenyan everyday green. A scoop on the plate alongside completes the meal.
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