Nigerian novelist Chinua Achebe once wrote that proverbs are the palm oil with which words are eaten.

Chicken in Red Palm Oil (Photo credit: John Tolva)

A recipe for chicken in red palm oil:

CHICKEN IN RED PALM OIL
Serves 4-6

¼ c. red palm oil
1 chicken, cut up for frying
½ t. ground coriander
1 t. sea salt
1 t. dried orange peel
1 t. dried minced garlic
1/4 t. ground hot red pepper (cayenne)

Melt the red palm oil in a large cast-iron skillet. Mix the spices together in a small bnowl and rub the chicken with this mixture.

Heat the oil over high heat until you notice a small amount of smoke. The oil will darken slightly.

Reduce heat to medium. Place the chicken in the skillet and cover with a lid. Cook each side of the chicken until well browned; reduce the heat to low and cook until chicken is tender. Drain and serve with rice and vegetables.

Note: You can fry some onions and a couple of tomatoes with the chicken. Add water to cover and cook until tender. Stir in 3-4 T. unsweetened peanut butter. Serve as directed above.