(no subject)

[madbaker]

This week's Resolution Recipe: Poulet Mafé.
"In Senegal at the Keur Moussa monastery, a typical meal involves poulet mafé, a thick peanut sauce with chicken, root vegetables, and cabbage served over rice, fonio, or millet. For chef Pierre Thiam, poulet mafé is the ultimate comfort food."

3 clove garlic (Ha! I used... more.)
1 Tbsp peeled and chopped fresh ginger
salt and pepper
1 lb bone-in chicken thighs
1 lb chicken drumsticks (I used 1.75 lb chicken thighs, cubed)
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
6 oz tomato paste (I used house-made)
1/4 cup fish sauce
7 cups water
1 cup unsweetened peanut butter, well stirred
8 oz green cabbage, cored and cut in 2" wedges
3 medium carrots, cut in 2" pieces
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cubed
chiles to taste
cooked rice, for serving (I used wild rice)

Stir together garlic, ginger, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Add chicken and press garlic mixture into chicken pieces. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or up to 12 hours.

Heat oil in a very large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until oil shimmers. Add onion and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and fish sauce. Cook, stirring constantly, until combined and the tomato paste caramelizes and turns a few shades darker, 6-8 minutes. Add 7 cups water, scraping any browned bits from the bottom. Add chicken and any remaining garlic to the Dutch oven. Bring to a boil over high heat.

Place peanut butter in a heatproof bowl and stir in 1 1/2 cups liquid from the Dutch oven, 1/4 cup at a time, until the peanut butter is thinned out and the mixture is creamy. Add to the Dutch oven and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in cabbage and carrots and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in potato and sweet potato and return to a vigorous simmer. Simmer 30-35 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in chiles, if using, and season with salt to taste. Serve over rice.

What worked: It was fine. Different from our usual. The wild rice is outside the normal for this dish, but it worked well enough. It was better the next day for lunch after it had set up a bit.

What didn't: I should have listened to my instincts and made a half batch. This made more than the two of us can eat before I get sick of it; half went directly into the freezer.

Will I make it again? Probably not. It just didn't resonate for us.

Comments

[aimeric]

Mafé was one of L's favorites in Senegal, but she used to complain that it was impossible to find peanuts/peanut butter with the same consistency/taste back in the states, even at Bissap Baobab in SF (which was founded by the cousin of Senegal's first president).