Passport & Plate - 'Zim' Chicken
Zimbabwe | Wednesday, March 4, 2015 | 4 photos
Ingredients
1kg chicken pieces
3/4 cup fruity tomato chutney, preferably homemade
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tspn curry powder
Rice or mashed potato to serve
How to prepare this recipePreheat oven to 180'C
Place chicken pieces into a casserole dish and cook, covered, for 30mins. Drain fat from dish.
In a bowl mix together the chutney, honey, mayonnaise and curry powder. Pour over the chicken and bake uncovered for 20 minutes.
Serve with rice or mashed potato.
The story behind this recipe"Zim Chicken" was a family favourite when I was growing up and knowing where the recipe came from makes it all the more special.
When my parents were in Zimbabwe in the late 1980's they stayed with some friends on a farm and were served this dish for dinner. My mother, Bev, enjoyed the dinner so much she asked the hostess at dinner table how to make it, the hostess didn't know and said to Bev she would have to ask Nigel the cook for the recipe.
Nigel only spoke the local native language 'Shona', so when Bev went into the kitchen to ask for the recipe, they had an impromptu game of pictionary! Nigel held up each ingredient one after the other until Bev had the full recipe. First Nigel took Bev to the back door and like most farm houses in Zimbabwe, a very small pen of chooks were always kept just outside the kitchen door. Nigel lent in to the pen & held up a chicken by its neck, ok so we have chicken. Back into the kitchen to the pantry where Nigel held up a tub of homegrown honey in a very large old stoneware pot. He then held up a jar of chutney, followed by the homemade mayonnaise and the jar of curry powder. Nigel had the biggest smile on his face the whole time & as he presented each ingredient to Bev he would say "Madam".
The list of ingredients was then brough home and our family have been enjoying it ever since.
