WEST AFRICAN-STYLE CHICKEN AND GROUNDNUT STEW

West African-Style Chicken and Groundnut Stew image

Provided by Cecilia Myers

Categories Chicken

Number Of Ingredients 12

2 Tbsp olive oil
9 chicken thighs (about 3 lbs.)
2 medium onions, chopped
2 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp dried thyme
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, or more to taste
3 c chicken broth, homade or canned
2 can(s) (8 oz cans) tomato sauce
3/4 c unsalted, sugarless peanut butter

Steps:

1. Heat the oil in a 5-quart Dutch oven. In batches, add the chicken and cook over medium-high heat, turning often, until browned on all sides, about 6 minutes per batch. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside. The goal is to Brown the meat, not fully cook it.
2. Add the onions to the Dutch oven and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Then add garlic, curry powder, thyme, bay leaves, salt and cayenne pepper. Stir for 1 minute, and then stir in the chicken broth and tomato sauce.
3. Return the chicken thighs to the Dutch oven and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover tightly, and simmer until the chicken shows no sign of pink at the bone when prodded with the tip of a sharp knife, about 45 minutes.
4. In a small bowl, blend the peanut butter with about 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Stir this mixture back into the sauce, and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes. Serve immediately.
5. Serve with rice and fried sweet plantains!
6. This is from the book "Kwanzaa" by Eric V. Copage.