Gabon | Main dish

Poulet a l'Odika

Gabonese chicken simmered in odika, the roasted wild mango seed sauce sometimes called African chocolate.

Country
Gabon
Region
Central Africa
Time
85 min
Serves
6
Level
medium
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Recipe overview

What to know before you cook

Odika, made from roasted wild mango kernels, gives Gabonese sauces a deep brown color and nutty, slightly smoky body. Chicken cooked in odika is a quiet showstopper.

What the dish tastes like

Gabonese chicken simmered in odika, the roasted wild mango seed sauce sometimes called African chocolate.

When to cook it

Best for Sunday lunch, guest meals, and Gabonese comfort food.. Plan on a medium cook and about 85 minutes total.

What to serve alongside it

Rice, boiled plantain, cassava, or baton de manioc.

Regional lane

Gabon national table. A structured Gabon dish in the AfroKitchen archive.

Chef watch-outs
  • Stopping the base before the pepper, onion, or spice edge has mellowed.
  • Thinning the pot before the body of the soup or stew has developed.
  • Rushing the base before the raw edge has cooked out.
How you know it is ready
  • The sauce should coat the spoon and taste rounded, not watery or raw.
  • The aroma should smell rounded rather than raw or sharp.
  • Oil, sauce, broth, or steam should look settled and deliberate.
Recipe photos

See the dish before you cook

Each recipe supports one main image and up to four extra prep, serving, or step photos when they are available.

Poulet a l'Odika recipe from Gabon
Poulet a l'Odika finished dish
Chef board

Build the table around Poulet a l'Odika

Rice, boiled plantain, cassava, or baton de manioc.

Best route from here

Gabon national table

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Servings 6

Scale the dish before you shop, then use the checklist while you cook.

How to cook it

Step-by-step method

Keep the rhythm calm, watch the texture, and adjust seasoning at the end.

Back to Gabon
4 steps 20 min prep 65 min cook 85 min total medium
1
Brown chicken
Brown chicken pieces in oil and set them aside.
brown 12:00
2
Cook aromatics
Cook onion, garlic, and tomatoes until reduced.
base 12:00
3
Melt odika
Add stock and odika, stirring until the sauce turns smooth and brown.
odika 12:00
4
Simmer chicken
Return chicken and simmer until tender and coated in sauce.
simmer 35:00

Odika sauce can be cooked with chicken, fish, smoked meat, or vegetables, depending on the household and what is available.

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