#GoFasterFriday West African Chicken in Peanut Sauce 

A delicious combo of vegetables and meat, thickened with a peanut sauce (sauce d'arachide), Mafé is a popular West African dish particularly common in Senegal, Gambia, Mali and the Ivory Coast.  

 

Peanuts are widely used in Africa, especially in soups and stews. And according to the latest report from Maastricht University, eating a small handful of peanuts ever day can be EXTREMELY beneficial to our health.

 

We've known that for ages at Go Faster Food. Click here for a delicious Ethiopian sweet potato and peanut soup, or start your day with the Chocolate and Peanut Granola from page 68 of Go Faster Food for Kids.

 

I'm not claiming authenticity with this hearty, fiery chicken stew - here I'm using peanut butter and skinless chicken thighs for the sake of convenience (but if you fancy going traditional, then you'll need a couple of hens and to roast raw peanuts over a fire, then grind them to a puree!) and I'd recommend using a natural variety such as CRUNCHY WHOLE EARTH peanut butter. It acts as a thickener and adds a wonderful depth of flavour.

 

Packed with goodness and relatively easy to make, this tasty supper will boost your mood

and sustain your energy levels.

 

Serve with couscous or brown rice, or simply on its own with a hunk of crusty bread.

 

If you're allergic to peanuts, or making this in a nut free school, you could try this recipe with nut-free Wow Butter (I haven't tried this yet, so I'd be interested to hear what you think if you do use it).

 

 

Ingredients to serve 4

 

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 8 chicken thighs (use skinless if you want to reduce fat content)

• 1 onion, peeled and finely sliced

• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

• 2 cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated

• 1 red, green and yellow pepper, stalk and seeds removed, diced into 2 cm cubes

• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced into 2 cm cubes

• 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped

• 2 tbsp tomato puree

• 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes

• 2-3 tbsp coconut milk (optional)

• 3-4 tbsp crunchy peanut butter

• 1 sprig fresh thyme, or 1 tsp dried thyme

• 2 tsp ground coriander

• 1 tsp ground cumin

• 1 tsp cayenne pepper (or to taste)

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

• Chicken stock

• 1 x 25g pack french coriander, roughly chopped

• Juice of half a lime

• 1 lime, cut into quarters

 

 

Prep time - 10 mins

Cook time - 40 mins 

Method

 

1. Heat the oil in a flame-proof casserole dish, and brown the chicken over a medium to high heat. 

2. Turn the heat to low, add the onion, garlic and ginger and gently sauté for a few minutes to soften the onion. 

3. Stir in the vegetables and the chilli and then add the tomato puree, tomatoes, coconut milk, peanut butter, thyme, ground coriander, cumin and cayenne pepper, a little salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Top up with enough chicken stock to cover everything. 

4. Bring to the boil, cover and then reduce the heat to a simmer.

5. Cook on the hob, covered, on a low heat, stirring frequently, for about 30-40 minutes or until the chicken is cooked and the sauce is deliciously thick. Add the lime juice and adjust the seasoning according to taste. You may have to add extra chicken stock if the sauce becomes too thick.

6. Sprinkle over the fresh coriander and serve with lime wedges on brown rice or couscous, or simply with a hunk of crusty bread.

 

 

 

Share this recipe :

Allergic to peanuts, or making this in a nut free school? Try this recipe using nut-free Wow Butter 

Currently not compatible with iPad