Mafé

Mafé is a classic Senegalese stew that is served with rice. It is typically made with lamb but can also be made with beef or chicken. I chose chicken this time. 

I know I will be making this a lot this winter. Come see how it's made.

I used chicken, onion, carrots, tomato paste, peanut butter, thyme and bay leaves. I found I didn't have enough tomato paste so I used some Caldo de Tomate, which is a tomato bullion, along with the tomato paste I did have.

Cooked the onion in some olive oil until translucent then added the chicken and cooked some more.

The peanut butter is mixed into water and added to the chicken. There is nothing, I mean nothing more disgusting looking than peanut butter mixed with room temperature water. You'll just have to trust me on this. Tomato paste mixed into water is then added.

Add a couple of sprigs of fresh thyme and a couple of bay leaves.

Then the carrots that have been cut into rounds.

Cover and simmer.

Served it over some Jasmine rice. Delicious.

I got this recipe from The Ranger on a cooking group.

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Mafé (Senegal)

ethnic, soups and stews

2 tbs. peanut oil*
1 large onion, minced
2 lb. lamb, cubed
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter**
1-1/2 cups cold water
1/3 cup tomato paste
2 cups hot water
4 large carrots, cut into disks
3 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
  salt and pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a heavy sauce pan, add the onion, and cook over medium heat
until it's translucent. Add the meat and continue to cook, stirring
occasionally, until it's is lightly browned on all sides.

In a small bowl, mix the peanut butter with the cold water and pour over
the meat. Dilute the tomato paste with the hot water, pour liquid over the
stew, and stir well to make sure all the ingredients are well mixed. Add the
remaining ingredients, lower the heat, cover, and cook, stirring
occasionally, for 1 hour, or until meat is tender. Remove thyme sprigs and
bay leaves. Serve with rice.

Author's Note: Mafé is a Senegalese classic. It is also an entrant in to
the peanut stew sweepstakes that could be held for dishes from all over the
continent. Here the meat of choice is lamb, but mafé could also be prepared
from beef or chicken. Traditionally the stew is served with rice.

The Ranger's Notes: I had sunflower oil to hand so I used that instead with no
noticeable detraction to taste. I don't know if using olive oil would
impact the flavor or not. I also substituted chunky peanut butter because I enjoy
the texture that this brings to dishes. I might cut the tomato
paste/hotwater and use tomato sauce next time. I also used Basmati rice as
the base starch for the entire meal. For once the 7 cups of rice turned out
the way it was supposed to! I don't know how or why, either, so repeating
that part of the dinner will be like winning the lottery twice; doable but
not very likely.

Anyhow... If you're interested in further recipes, the ISBN is 0-684-80275-9
and the proper title is, 'The Africa Cookbook: Tastes of A Continent' by
Jessica B. Harris.

The Ranger
--
Disclaimer -- I am not receiving royalties for said tome, sleeping with the
author, nor any other nefarious purposes and plots.

Yield: 6 servings


** Exported from Now You're Cooking! v5.84 **

And that's that.