The days of $1 USD quarter chicken lunches served with salad and chips are gone in Maputo, as are a couple of my favourite restaurants where I used to eat it. The price of chicken seems to have sky rocketed here, with many of the places selling the same dish, with less flavour, for double or triple the price. In Mercado Janet, to be able to still sell ‘frango’ at an affordable 30 meticais ($1 USD), the bird has to be cut up into at least 12 pieces (you can see how small it is in the accompanying picture, where half the plate is comprised of onion tomato sauce).
This actually suits me fine, as I don’t need to eat huge meals, and often go days without eating meat anyway. When I have eaten it here in Maputo, whether chicken, fish, or beef, it is usually marinated in a simple mixture that must have been of Portuguese influence, but reminds me very much of Greek food:
Mozambican meat marinade
garlic, salt, lemon, olive oil, meat of choice
- with a mortar and pestle, or in a pot with the edge of a wooden spoon, crush together the salt and garlic
- add the salt and garlic to the meat/fish, squeezing fresh lemon over it and mixing
- if grilling the meat (or cooking in an oven), add some olive oil (or cheaper oil if olive unavailable), let sit for 30 minutes or more before cooking
- if frying, let meat sit for 30 minutes, heat vegetable oil, shallow fry until crispy
This goes great with a light salad, and is something simple that can be appreciated by guests across cultures.
Enjoy!
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