Chef Thiam, what is the dish that:

  1. inspired your love of food:

    Stuffed blue fish with root vegetables and red rice

  2. is your signature:

    Lamb shank with millet couscous, dates and white beans

  3. you cook on your night off:

    Hamburger

Can we have an extra helping? (Or two, or three?)

  1. What would be your last supper?

    My aunt’s duck casserole

  2. What is the best meal you have ever had?

    Rice and smoked oysters from Casamance

  3. What is your idea of comfort food?

    Seafood gumbo with lots of crabmeat and okra

  4. What is your favorite restaurant that people should know about?

    Le Grand-Dakar

  5. What one new ingredient should I add to my pantry and how should I use it?

    Asian fish sauce to use in very little doses in stews, sauces or marinades.

  6. What are you making tomorrow night for dinner?

    Cornish hen farci au fonio

Chef, can you share a recipe for one of these dishes?

Cornish Hen Farci au Fonio

2 cups fonio
1 tablespoon salt dissolved in ¼ cup water
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Salt, to taste
1 carrot, peeled and cut into ½ inch cubes
1 cup shelled green peas
1 cup corn kernels
4 Cornish hens, about 1 to 2 pounds each
2 tablespoons rof (recipe below)
4 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 cups peanut oil
1 onion, julienned
2 green bell peppers, julienned
2 cups water

Serves 4

1. To prepare the fonio, wash the grains with running cold water and drain well. Place the fonio in the top of a steamer lined with cheesecloth. Set over simmering water, cover, and steam, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork. Drizzle with salted water and return the fonio to the steamer basket and steam again until the grains are tender. (Alternatively, fonio can be prepared in a microwave by adding enough water to cover in a bowl and cooking until tender, 6 to 8 minutes.) Add the butter and fold into the cooked fonio.

2. Meanwhile, place a pot of water over high heat. When it comes to a boil, add salt. Cook the vegetables separately just until tender—the carrots of 15 minutes, the peas for 5 minutes, and the corn for 5 minutes. Drain well and combine the cooked vegetables with the steamed fonio. Set aside.

3. With the tip of a sharp knife, cut a few incisions in the Cornish hens and stuff with some rof. Mix together with the remaining rof, mustard, and vinegar. Season the birds with this mixture. Stuff the cavity of each hen with the fonio, reserving the remaining fonio for serving. Secure with toothpicks or sew with kitchen thread.

4. In a pot large enough to hold the Cornish hens in a single layer, heat the oil and brown the hens for 15 minutes to a nice golden color. Remove the birds from the pot into a bowl. Pour off all but about 2 tablespoons oil from the pot.

5. Reheat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions and green pepper, stirring until softened but not browned. Return the hens and accumulated juice to the pot along with 2 cups water. Bring to a boil and reduce. Season with salt. Simmer, covered, for about 20 minutes. Serve with the reduced fonio and vegetables, along with the sauce from the cooking pot.

Rof

Rof, pronounced “rawf,” is a popular condiment in Senegal, commonly used to stuff fish.

1 bunch parsley, coarsely chopped
1 habanero pepper, stemmed and coarsely chopped
3 garlic cloves
1 onion, chopped, or a small bunch of scallions, white parts only, chopped
1 bay leaf, crumbled
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Makes about 1 cup

1. Place all the ingredients in a food processor and process coarsely, or pound by hand in a mortar and pestle.