"Its to die for"! Crispy, Nutty Sesame Suya Chicken
A Nut-free twist on a bewitching Nigerian favourite, my latest recipe in Delicious Magazine
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What a month it's been so far! With the abundance of sunshine currently in the UK, it's been especially glorious on the coast, and as always, we are soaking it all up. I have much to share, from picking up fresh catch from my local fishmongers which produced an amazing platter of plantains with sweet Sussex crab, to my first taste of fabulous crudo (simply meaning ‘raw’ and fish in this case) enjoyed in London, by way of Australia via Morocco & The Levant. I also travelled cross-country for our latest recording for BBC’s The Kitchen Cabinet and now back home on the coast, pining for exciting travel ahead. And there was a marvellous evening with Nigella Lawson with shocking tales of air fryers. More gist to come, and a very special invitation to an upcoming recording in London, where you can be my guest in the audience. Stay ‘tuned’!
Sesame Suya Chicken
The food I cook at home
For now, I would love you to cook this recipe, from my special feature as guest columnist in a previous edition of Delicious Magazine. “The food I cook at home.” A remastering of a Nigerian favourite. One that the brilliantly talented Polly, the magazine’s food producer, describes as, “To die for!” Knowing all too well how true this is, I concur!
Can you imagine loving something so much since you were a child, only to wake up one day and realise it could kill you?
For the love of Suya
“Suya is a deliciously etched memory of my childhood. A much-loved street food with thin strips of meat heavily spiced in an aromatic blend of peanuts, ginger, chilli and more, it is grilled on an open fire and its irresistible aroma would waft through the air for miles, as if calling out to me. In northern Nigeria where this delicacy originates from, the Hausa-Fulnai tribes traditionally called it tsire. Now (and especially down south in Lagos), it is commonly known as suya. I remember as a young child and teenager, my hunger for suya would be raging by early afternoon but the mai suya (the grill master) wouldn't start grilling until 5 or 6pm. Luckily for me, the local mai suya in my father's neighbourhood knew our household and had watched me grow from a toddler, despite the many gaps when I was away from the country. And so, I could often sneak my order through and beat the inevitable queue!
Every mai suya has their own secret blend and after many years of testing I created my own from memory and with guidance from some of the best grill masters in Nigeria. When you have loved something all your life, you just know when you've got it right.
Once out of the grill and still sizzling, I love to brush over lashings of oil, as they do in the famous Glover Court Suya spot in Ikoyi, Lagos, before a final generous shower of my bewitching Suya Spice Blend.”
That is an excerpt from my cookbook, Africana. A memory I will treasure forever, as I may never be able to eat the Suya of my childhood. Imagine the horror and sadness, just after the pandemic, when I discovered my nut allergy? Now I find myself sniffing jars of peanut butter, only to be reminded that I can no longer consume this delight. However, all is not lost. Because I always catered to allergy sufferers, I have become accustomed to finding interesting swaps for flavour and texture. And for Suya, I have found a hero in sesame as a replacement for peanuts. Amongst three of my brand new recipes published in Delicious Magazine’s March edition, the Sesame Suya Roasted Chicken set tongues wagging.
An alternative to the classic peanut based suya of my glorious childhood. Here sesame is the hero ingredient (a major export of West Africa & the Horn of Africa) I use sesame butter (aka tahini), sesame seeds and toasted sesame oil, and with gingery ‘tsire’ which I write about in Africana, for a roast that is just as bewitchingly fragrant as the original. An excellent alternative for nut allergy sufferers.
Lerato’s Favourites!
A common request I receive from our community is for a list of my favourite things; my favourite pots and pans, my favourite spices, my favourite salt, my favourite restaurant in the UK and afar, you name it. The questions keep coming and I am excited to answer them. And so I’ll endeavour to share many of the things I love and experiences I enjoy, so that we can share these treasures together.
Now, take a moment to admire the vibrant fabric above, against the backdrop of my recipes and the patterns from the new homeware collection below, by Eva Sonaike, the queen of African luxury interiors. Much of her exquisite fabric adorns the pages of my cookbook, Africana.
I am currently in love with this gorgeous tray from her tabletop collection, so much so that as soon as she announced it, I asked if I could buy it, as well as these beautiful pink napkins, before it was available to the public. I have used the tray while catering for Converse launch party, at home, and in some of my upcoming recipe videos. It is so pretty and makes the pleasure of hosting and feeding oneself much more beautiful. I might buy a couple more of the same and a mix of others too. What I love most about her collection is that each piece brings a vibrant touch of Africa to my home, in a luxurious yet approachable fashion.
Heartfelt gratitude to the Delicious team for trusting me when I suggested this collaboration, of using Eva’s fabric to tell a cohesive story of the ‘food I cook at home’ which was the title of this special column. And how fitting as this was also Editor Karen’s fair well edition after 14 years at its helm. This was a beautiful edition of the magazine that I will cherish for time to come. I hope you enjoy this recipe, and as always fire away with your comments and questions!
I’ll be back in a jiffy with some delicious news.
*My Award-winning cookbook, Africana*
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Oh my this sounds (as the magazine name suggests) utterly Delicious! I always have a good quality sesame oil on hand and do have a bag of sesame seeds, and I love the inclusion of red peppers in the roasting tin and red chillies in the marinade.