This October it's Black History Month and we're celebrating the achievements and contributions of black people across our stores, sites and those doing great things in our communities. Our development Chef, Jon, is in the kitchen with some of our colleagues enjoying learning how to cook some new dishes.

What are we doing to celebrate Black History Month?

We're proudly supporting a raft of initiatives to support Black History Month this October, reinforcing this year’s national theme of 'Saluting Our Sisters' with a focus on honouring the matriachs of movement.

  • Our Community Champions are working with local food banks and community organisations to understand what the need is in your community for foods from the World Food Aisle and hair products sought by Black communities in order to make donations and distribute.
  • We've adopted the Halo Code, the UK’s first black hair code which explicitly protects employees who come to work with natural hair and protective hairstyles associated with their racial, ethnic, and cultural identities. If you'd like to know more please see the link below.
  • Look out for our Black History Month book range in store which includes Little People Books from key figures including Marcus Rashford, Lewis Hamilton and Martin Luther King.
  • Our colleagues will be wearing red on Friday 20th October to Show Racism the Red Card.
  • We're once again this year supporting the Sickle Cell Society - there'll be a QR code in stores to sign up to give blood.
  • We'll be playing MOBO playlists in store throughout October to celebrate Black History Month.

Read more on the Halo Code>>

Recipes

Fried Chicken and Rice

“A Nigerian rice which is always an option available at parties alongside Jollof.”

Made by frying uncooked rice slightly before cooking in stock - @rukkiecooks Fried Chicken and Rice recipe is one for the recipe book. Easy-peasy, and full of flavour!

Ingredients

  • Chicken stock 
  • 1kg of chicken thighs and drums
  • 1 white onion 
  • 2 inch piece of ginger
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 2 bay leaves
  • Few springs of thyme 
  • 700ml of water
  • 1 chicken boullion cube
  • 1tbs curry powder

Chicken Marinade: 

  • 1tbs paprika
  • 1tbs black pepper
  • 1tsp salt
  • 1tsp garlic powder
  • 1tsp dried oregano
  • 2tbs honey
  • 1tbs extra virgin olive oil 

Fried rice:

  • 2 cups basmati rice 
  • 1white onion 
  • 3 ¾ cups of chicken stock 
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 200g frozen mixed vegetables
  • 1 tbs curry powder
  • 200g cooked prawns 
  • 1/2 chicken boullion 
  • 1tsp curry powder
  • 1tsp dried thyme
  • Salt 
  • Scotch bonnet chilli

Method

  1. For your stock add your chicken, roughly chopped onion, ginger, garlic to a pot along with bay leaves, boullion cube, curry powder and water. Bring to gentle boil for 30 mins on medium heat.
  2. Once your chicken stock is ready, remove your chicken by placing onto a oven proof dish and strain liquid into a separate jug.
  3. Prepare your chicken marinade by combining paprika, black pepper, salt, onion powder, extra virgin olive oil and honey. Glaze chicken skin side up, place under the grill for 4 minutes flip and repeat the process.
  4. Add thoroughly washed basmati rice to a pot with the ration of 1 part rice to 1.5 parts chicken stock. Allow to steam until al dente.
  5. To a pan add in enough cooking oil to generously coat the base generously and sauté your onions, garlic, chilli on a medium heat. Be sure to not brown them, just soften.
  6. Add in the prawns plus frozen mixed veg along with 1tsp of curry powder, ½ chicken bouillon cube, dried thyme and 200ml chicken stock from earlier and allow to cook on low for 3-5 minutes. We want for the veg to still have a bite. Season with salt if needed.
  7. Add your cooled partially cooked rice to the pan and combine thoroughly. Cover pot with foil and place lid on top over a low heat and allow to steam for an additional 5 minutes.
  8. Fluff your cooked rice using a fork and serve with the juicy grilled chicken. 

 

Tilapia Pepper Soup

“This is a staple soup across all of Nigeria.” To celebrate Black History Month @rukkiecooks has shared some of her favourite Nigerian recipes, starting with soup for all occasions, guaranteed to be served at any Nigerian hall party plus your go-to meal when you're feeling under the weather. 🌶 

Serves 2- 4 people

Ingredients

  • 4 fillets of tilapia
  • 2tbs pepper soup spice mix
  • 1.5 litres of water
  • Cayenne Pepper
  • Hot chilli pepper
  • Salt 
  • 1 boullion cube

Method

  1. To a pot, add your water, pepper soup spice mix and bouillon cube (vegetable, fish or chicken whichever you prefer). Bring to a boil then season with salt, cayenne and hot chilli pepper to your preference.
  2. Allow to boil for 5 minutes and reduce to a steady simmer.
  3. Add your tilapia filets gently into your pot and allow to cook in the broth for 7-10 mins. Be sure not to stir to avoid fish falling apart.
  4. Serve and garnish with some fresh scent leaves or basil.
  5. You can enjoy this broth on its own or alongside some boiled yam. 

Fiona's Escovitch Fish

What better way to celebrate Black History Month than with delicious food! Join our Regional People Manager, Fiona, on how to cook her version of the Caribbean dish Escovitch Fish. Dig in to Fiona's delicious recipe below. The dish is usually made with snapper or red bream, but you can try it with sea bream or seabass if you prefer. 

Ingredients

  • Fish - usually use snapper or red bream but you can use either sea bream or sea bass
  • 1 lime or lemon
  • 1 onion, thinly sliced  
  • 2 carrots, cut into thin strips
  • 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
  • 1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
  • 1 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
  • 1 scotch bonnet peppers, thinly sliced
  • 1 cup of white vinegar
  • Vegetable oil 
  • Salt (optional if using all-purpose seasoning)
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tbsp of fish or all-purpose seasoning 

Please note the amount of ingredients required will depend on volume of fish being used

To prepare fish 

  1. Rinse well and squeeze lemon or lime to cleanse. Season the fish with fish seasoning, salt and pepper. (You can marinate overnight or season on the day). Deep fry the whole fish, over a high heat, until crispy.

To prepare marinade

  1. Place the sliced onions, peppers, carrots, scotch bonnet and white vinegar in the small pan.
  2. Bring to boil and allow to simmer for a few minutes.

To serve

  1. Place the fish in a dish and pour the marinated vegetables over the fish.

Dehe's Cote d'Ivoire Grilled Lamb and Attieke

Meet one of our colleagues, Dehe, sharing her classic and delicious recipe for Attieke with lamb chops originating from Cote D'Ivoire in Africa. Watch Dehe show chef Jon how to make this versatile celebration dish, packed full of flavour, and keep scrolling to check out the full recipe.

Ingredients

  • Lamb Cutlets
  • Oil
  • English mustard
  • Vegetable stock cubes
  • 2-3 cloves garlic
  • 2 onions
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • 400g chopped tomatoes
  • 1 red chilli or scotch bonnet
  • 200g Attieke (Cassava Cous Cous) available in specialist shops or use standard cous cous
  • 1/2 cucumber
  • 2 peppers (red pepper/yellow pepper)
  • 2 tomatoes, chopped
  • Fresh lemon for the juice

Method

  1. First make the marinade for the lamb, crush up 1x stock cube and mix with salt pepper and a little oil with some English mustard (about 2x teaspoons), in a large bowl coat the lamb chops well, and chill until needed.
  2. If using Attieke, crumble the defrosted Cassava Cous Cous with your hands before steaming for 10-15 minutes until soft and fluffy, if using standard couscous, cook following the pack instructions.
  3. Make a sauce/dressing for the lamb by blending the tinned chopped tomatoes with 1/2 an onion peeled and chopped, 1x red chilli, 1x clove of garlic, a splash of olive oil, and blend until smooth. Add to a pan, crumble in a stock cube and bring to the boil. Simmer until cooked down by half, remove from the pan and pour into a serving dish.
  4. To make the salad, roughly chop the cucumber, peppers, onion and fresh tomatoes and mix together with a little oil and lemon juice. 
  5. Grill the Lamb chops until charred on both sides and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes. In a frying pan add a little oil and add the last garlic clove sliced thinly and a finely chopped onion and cooked and golden brown, stir in the couscous and season well.
  6. Serve the cous cous on a serving platter, with the salad and the lamb chops and pour over the sauce. Enjoy!

David & Caroline's Fried Rice & African Buns

In our latest video, David and his Mum Caroline show us how to make Fried Rice with Chicken and Puff Puff Buns. Tuck in to the recipe below. 

Ingredients

Fried Rice:

  • Basmati rice 500g
  • Frozen mixed veg (including carrots, peas, sweetcorn)
  • Onion 
  • Curry powder
  • Dried thyme
  • Chicken stock cube 
  • Whole ginger fresh 
  • Chicken of your choice, we recommend chicken thighs

Puff Puff/African Buns: 

  • Self raising flour 500g
  • Whole nutmeg 
  • Eggs
  • Sunflower oil
  • Sugar 

Method

Chicken & Fried Rice:

  1. Peel and chop carrots and onions and chop the ginger. 
  2. Cook the rice as per pack instructions with water, stock cube and curry powder until tender. Once the rice is cooked and strained, heat some oil in a large frying pan or pot, and fry the carrot, onion and ginger until softened. Stir in the rice and cook until just gently browned.
  3. While the rice is cooking marinade the chicken by mixing a crumbled up stock cube, a pinch of curry powder, a good grind of pepper and some sesame seeds (black and white sesame seeds work great) add some oil just to bind the marinade together and rub into the chicken, place on a baking tray and bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes at 190oc till juices run clear.

African Buns:

  1. Bind the flour egg and milk together, to make a dough.
  2. Heat the oil for frying carefully and test with a little bit of the dough, if the dough floats and begins to colour the oil is at the correct temperature. 
  3. Add the dough in little balls carefully into the hot oil, around 3-4 at a time, once they are floating and golden brown on all sides they are ready, place on a tray with a bit of kitchen towel so they can drain off any excess oil.
  4. Serve all with the fried rice. 

Videos