Sunday was chicken day at our family’s house in Ikeja, Lagos, and the result was a dinner sourced almost entirely from the backyard: freshly picked herbs to elevate the senses, ripe citrus to add acid to the drippings, seasoning blends my mother made and stored in her pantry, and of course, the chicken itself (several of which we kept year-round in a broad enclosure). There’s no buka in Lagos that serves a dish quite like this, but the flavor components are recognizable. And coconut rice, of course, can be found across Lagos.
This is something that has become a Sunday tradition for me and my family in Brooklyn. Even the herb seasoning arrives with my mother on her visits, and it gives me an enormous sense of joy to share it with you. Serve this with any of the condiments and sauces from the previous chapters.
