To make poulet DG, chicken pieces are fried until golden, then cooked together with fried ripe plantain, green beans, carrots, sweet peppers and a sauce made from tomatoes, onions, garlic and spices. The combination of the soft, sweet plantain with the savoury chicken and vegetables gives the dish a wonderful balance of flavours that is quite unlike any other African dish.
The name 'DG' (Directeur Général - French for 'Director General') reflects Cameroon's history as a French-speaking country. French is one of Cameroon's two official languages, and French-influenced cooking styles blended with traditional Cameroonian ingredients to create dishes like poulet DG. The dish is a delicious example of how cultures mix through food.
Poulet DG is a popular choice in Cameroonian restaurants and is often the dish people order when they want to impress a visitor or celebrate something special. Unlike ndolé, which takes most of the day to prepare, a skilled cook can prepare poulet DG in a couple of hours, making it a slightly more everyday luxury.
Plantains are central to this dish. Unlike sweet bananas, plantains are starchy and not sweet when unripe, but become sweet and soft when fully ripe and cooked. Fried ripe plantain - called 'douce' or sweet plantain - is one of the most beloved side dishes across West and Central Africa, and in poulet DG it is cooked right into the main dish.