West African Chicken Stew

When I started this blog, Bex requested that I post this recipe (sorry that it took me so long to get around to posting it!).  I've served this stew at many a potluck and have received rave reviews on it.  Given that it's a bit more labour-intensive, I'd save it for a weekend supper or an afore mentioned potluck dinner with friends.  

I first had this dish at Anthea's house many years ago and it was love at first sight!  The original recipe was made in a pressure cooker so I had to adapt it for cooking on the stove in a dutch oven. I'm sure that it could easily be further adapted for use in a crock pot but I've yet to go that far.  I have no idea where the recipe was originally published but just know that it's not a dish that I created. 

Ingredients:

1 tbsp vegetable oil

8 green onions (white parts only but save green parts for garnish)

1 small can tomato paste

2-4 cups chicken broth (or enough to cover chicken and yams)

3 tbsp curry powder (or more/less to your taste)

1 tbsp minced fresh ginger

2 minced garlic cloves

1 tsp red pepper flakes

1 tsp salt

3 lbs chicken - boneless, skinless thighs work best but breasts are good too 

1 large red pepper, chopped into small pieces

2-3 yams, chopped into 1 inch pieces 

6 tbsp peanut butter

Directions:

Saute onions, oil, and red pepper in large dutch oven.  Add spices and tomato paste.  Cook until fragrant and then remove from pan.  

Sauté chicken in same pan until no longer pink.  Return spices and sauted items back to pan.  Add chopped yams. 

Cover with chicken broth.  Bring broth to a boil and turn down heat to medium/low.  Cover with lid and cook until yams are tender (about 60-90 mins).  

Spoon some of the liquid into a small bowl and stir in peanut butter until well mixed.  Add mixture back to dutch oven.  Mix stew well (both to stir in peanut butter and to mash up the softened yams.  Add more pb and spices, if necessary. 

Serve over white rice.  

Enjoy!