You probably already know him, the one and only, the stylish, multicoloredUncle Freddy Chokoté.

You may have seen him on M6, with his brother Tonton Gaudrey, on the show "Qui veut être mon associé" (Who wants to be my partner?). He is also very active onLinkedIn, an unusual (and clearly very effective!) channel for promoting a restaurant. Their approach toAfrican cuisine—fresh, dynamic, and resolutely modern—was a hit. To open their restaurantLes Tontons Afro inLille, the first in what will be the first chain of African restaurants, they were looking for an investor, whom they found in Éric Larchevêque. And so the great adventure began!

Uncle Freddy, who trained at the hotel school in Le Touquet, is in charge (among other things) of the kitchen. And what a kitchen! He did us the honor and pleasure of granting us anUrsinointerview overa dish that is emblematic of Africa: mafé.

Enjoy your journey through African cuisine... and #sapology*!

*Sapology: The trademark of Les Tontons Afro: the art of dressing well by being daring and standing out.

Tell us about a traditional recipe that is close to your heart...

"It's a dish, a sauce, made withpeanut butter. In Cameroon, it's calledpeanut sauce, while in Senegal and Mali, it's calledmafé. I chose it because it's a dish that's found throughout sub-Saharan Africa. It contains tomatoes, onions, chili peppers...

It is usually served with rice. This is interesting because rice is very common in Africa, yet very little is grown there.

Basically, mafé isa dish that unites all countries in sub-Saharan Africa.

Does this dish seem rather old or recent to you? Is it disappearing? Which regiondo you think it belongsto?

"It's anancient dish. Senegal and Mali dispute its origin, but it's eaten everywhere in sub-Saharan Africa. It's far from disappearing!"

Do you know of any other variations of this dish? Or similar dishes in other countries or regions?

"In Cameroon, we addpeanut paste, water, spices, and tomatoes. Some people add more or less tomato. The most well-known version is made with beef, but it can also be made with chicken, smoked chicken, or smoked fish (bifaka, smoked herring). Some people add carrots. In Senegal, mafé is darker because it contains more peanut butter, and some people use palm oil (which has a red hue that colors the sauce)."

Are there any other traditional dishes that you are keen to pass on to your children?

What do you associate with cooking and mealtimes? Why do you think this is important in a culture or society?

"Ever since I was little, my path was clear. I wanted to be a chef. For me, cooking is a pleasure. I cook to make people happy. The purpose of my restaurant, Les Tontons Afro, is to make customers happy. And if the employees and customers are happy, then I'm happy.

And then there's THE phrase that everyone knows: "Mom... what's for dinner?" So for me, cooking is also about my mother. I don't understand why we praise Michelin-starred chefs and not moms who cook at home.

Steps:

1. In a salad bowl, mix together the chicken pieces, onion, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Heat the olive oil in a deep frying pan and add the chicken pieces. Fry for about 5 minutes.
3. Add the onion, garlic, ginger, chili pepper, paprika, thyme, salt, and pepper, and mix well.
4. Cook until the onion is translucent.
5. Add the puréed tomatoes, tomato paste, broth, and hot pepper, and mix everything together.
6. Cover and simmer for about 20-30 minutes.

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