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.