Thiboudienne holds a special place in West African cuisine. This one-pot rice masterpiece is also known as Senegal’s national dish, but its presence and popularity transcends borders. Its influence is powerful.
West Africa has many other great one-pot rice dishes – Ghana’s Waakye, Gambia’s Benatin, Nigeria jollofJust to name a few, it is a direct descendant of thieboudienne (pronounced chee-boo-jen), named after the Wolof words for rice (ceeb or thiebb) and fish (jën).
Jollof rice’s popularity, especially in the diaspora, can be attributed to how quickly it comes together, essentially a sped-up version of Sibou Dienne. But the great thief rejects all shortcuts. The Great Boudienne is practically an all-day event.
“This is the diva of tomato-stewed rice.” nafi ba flatleya Senegalese chef and a small business owner in San Francisco.
Thiboudienne is what I like to call a “process” recipe because each step is essential to the finished dish. To my taste buds, a great rice dish with layers of flavors is like a puzzle to be solved. I eat a lot, but just scooping a heaping spoonful isn’t enough. I’m trying to piece together the herbs, spices, stocks, and pantry staples used to create this product. I love deciphering the process of cooking, from simple ingredients to subtle riots of my senses, and this is why I love Thiboudienne so much.
Originally developed in Saint-Louis, a region on the northwest coast of Senegal that is rich in seafood, Sibou Dienne takes care of each ingredient in the hotpot.
Lots of herbs lof Flavor and season fish (Atlantic grouper thiofu or thief). Nocos (a blend of onions, bell peppers, chiles, and fresh tomatoes) thickens a rich tomato soup. The dish is made with soft vegetables and fish layered on top of fluffy rice. All are served with chone or chone. These are the crunchy bits of rice grains that stick to the bottom of the pan when it gets close to the heat. “We’re not going to let it go,” Flatley said. “We have to cut it down completely!”
To achieve sophisticated complexity, Thiboudienne must be confident in the art of flavor development. This is an approach that can be used for many other great West African dishes as well. Cannot create shortcuts.
“They take their time,” Flatley said of the cooks who made some of St. Louis’ most memorable tiboudiennes. “They start cooking at 9 a.m., but we can’t sit down and eat until about 1 p.m. That’s what makes it special.”
It takes a full two hours in a San Francisco kitchen. She plans to make some substitutes. She can use cauliflower instead of cabbage, but her pot calls for cassava and okra.
The experience of cooking thiboudienne can also be a collaborative one. Many cooks swap ingredients with their neighbors and enjoy this dish together as a celebratory meal.
Later in the recipe testing process, I collaborated with colleague Mia Limecooler in her kitchen in Montreal. She found some gloriously fresh chunks of red snapper at a local fish store, and a bag of crushed rice and a jar of tomato paste at a local grocery store. I brought carrots, green beans, cabbage, and chili picked at the late summer market. We chopped, pulsed, and cooked while a grueling tennis match played on TV in the background. The games added a lively sense of urgency to our preparations, and in the end we enjoyed a deeply satisfying, family-style meal.
“Thibodienne is the queen,” Flatley said, adding, “It’s soul food.”