West Africa · Street food
Poulet Bicyclette (Charcoal-Flame Hardbody Chicken with Pili-Pili)
Spatchcocked free-range rooster seared over smoky hardwood charcoal, glazed with pungent Dijon mustard, fiery pili-pili, and sweet onions.
The story
In the lively open-air maquis of Ouagadougou and Bobo-Dioulasso, poulet bicyclette is the uncontested king of nocturnal Burkinabè dining culture. Named after the hardy free-range local roosters transported across town balanced by the dozen on the handlebars of two-stroke mobylettes and bicycles, this bird possesses firm, lean muscle tissue unlike soft commercial broilers. The distinctive grilling technique relies on two-zone hardwood charcoal embers, continuous basting with a pungent chili-mustard emulsion, and a final steaming under metal bowls directly on the grill.
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