Kedjenou

Ingredients

 * 1 chicken about 1.5 kilograms (3½ lbs)
 * 1 eggplant
 * 2 large onions
 * 2 fresh red or green hot peppers
 * 4 tomatoes
 * 1 small piece ginger root
 * 1 sprig thyme
 * 1 bay leaf
 * salt

Directions

 * 1) Clean the chicken and cut it in pieces.
 * 2) Place them in an earthenware jar with the eggplant cut in pieces, the onions finely minced, the peppers seeded and shredded in little pieces, the tomatoes peeled, seeded and roughly crushed, the ginger root grated, plus the thyme and the bay leaf. Salt as desired.
 * 3) Hermetically seal the jar by tying a banana leaf around the collar; air should not escape and one should not have to add water during cooking.
 * 4) Place the jar on the hot coals; let cook about 45 minutes. During cooking, raise the jar and shake it energetically each 5 minutes so that the bottom doesn't stick."