Peanut chicken stew

E’s mom made us this stew the other night and it was very tasty. It’s derived from an African dish, where it’s made with peanuts and yams.

Ingredients

2 tbsp peanut oil
1 small onion, coarsely chopped
1 3-lb chicken, cut into 8 serving pieces
2 1/2 tsp kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2/3 c peanut butter (recipe calls for crunchy; we used freshly-ground peanut butter)
3 c chicken stock
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 dried hot red pepper or 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
2 sweet potatoes, peeled, halved lengthwise, each half cut across into 4 pieces
3/4 lb spinach, stemmed, washed, and cut into strips
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
hot pepper sauce

Directions

In a tall narrow stockpot, heat the oil over medium heat. Stir in the onion and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season the chicken with 1/2 tsp salt and pepper to taste, add to the onions, and cook, partially covered, for 8 minutes. Stir the chicken, turning the pieces over, and cook for 7 more minutes. Meanwhile, mix the peanut butter and 1 c stock until smooth. Add the remaining stock. Combine garlic and red pepper and pound into a paste using mortar and pestle. Stir into the stock mixture. Stir the stock mixture into the pot. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer, partially covered, for 10 minutes. Stir in the sweet potatoes, making sure chicken and potatoes are covered by liquid. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer, partially covered, for 15-18 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. Stir in the spinach and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes, or until wilted. Season with remaining salt and pepper to taste, lemon juice, and hot pepper sauce. Remove chicken from soup, separate meat from skin and bones, tear into bite-sized pieces, and return to the soup.