Cookbook:Liberian Chicken Gravy

Liberian chicken gravy is a delicious African stew. A lot of oil is required to cook most African stews, but when it comes to this dish, you don't need so much.

Ingredients

 * 3 lb chicken, cut into medium pieces
 * Salt to taste
 * Ground red or black pepper to taste
 * 2 tablespoons chicken bouillon cube
 * 2 medium-size onions, neatly chopped
 * 4 fresh tomatoes
 * 4 medium-size red bell pepper
 * 5 cloves of garlic
 * ½ cup basil and parsley
 * ½ cup vegetable oil
 * 2 tablespoons tomato paste
 * 2 lb any type of dried fish steak of your choice, cleaned
 * Smoked paprika (optional)
 * 1 teaspoon ginger powder
 * 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
 * 2 medium-size habanero pepper, neatly chopped
 * 1 pound large shrimp, cleaned

Procedure

 * 1) In a medium-size saucepan, boil the chicken with salt, pepper, some chopped onions, and 1 tablespoon of the chicken bouillon. Let them cook until tender—the cooking time varies according to the chicken.
 * 2) Remove the chicken to a bowl, reserving the stock.
 * 3) In a blender, purée the tomatoes, red bell pepper, onions, garlic, basil, and parsley.
 * 4) Add ½ cup oil to a pot, then add the blended mixture followed by the tomato paste. Allow it to cook for about 15 minutes, stirring the pot frequently as the sauce simmers.f
 * 5) Add the reserved chicken broth, then the chicken, dried fish, smoked paprika, ginger powder, cayenne pepper, and habanero pepper. Let simmer for about 10 minutes.
 * 6) Add the shrimp and cook for about 5 minutes.
 * 7) Adjust the stew with water, broth, and/or bouillon cubes if needed.
 * 8) Enjoy with any complimentary dish of your choice.

Notes, tips, and variations

 * It is not compulsory to use fish when preparing this stew.
 * You can use any variety of tomatoes such as canned tomatoes, fresh tomatoes, or Roma tomatoes.
 * Use any range of vegetables such as carrot, green beans.
 * You can also make use of extra spices such as curry powder, thyme, and bay leaves as desired.