One day, many years ago, when I was visiting my Aunt Rae in her
small rural village in Vermont, the two of us went to the Saxton's River Inn
for lunch.
That was during the heyday of the Inn. It was owned and managed
by Averill, and it was a top-notch operation. Beautifully appointed rooms, a
great bar where all the locals gathered, and an excellent restaurant.
That day at lunch, we both ordered something that was not the
norm on any Vermont menu - something the chef called generically "African Peanut
Stew." Keeping in mind that Africa is not a country, but a vast continent,
I did some research and discovered many groundnut stews made in different
countries throughout Africa, but this one most resembles
dovi from Zimbabwe.
What a revelation it was! A thick, creamy, tomato-y concoction
that had me begging for more. I wanted to make it at home!
Aunt Rae flagged down Averill - who was always visible in the
house - and asked if we could get the recipe. She said she would talk to the
chef and see what she could do.
As we finished lunch, Averill returned to our table and brought a
small scrap of paper with this written in it: "Boil chicken. Save stock.
Skin/shred chicken. Add onions. Add cayenne. Thicken w/2 large cans tomato paste
and # fresh peanut butter. Return shredded chicken. Serve hot." I took the
chef's notes and, combined with the information I found online, came up with my
own version.
It's simple and different. In fact, I have never seen it on any
menu since, although we recently took it to a potluck and two different people
said they made their own versions, each slightly different from mine.
Enjoy!
~ David
1 pound salted peanuts, or 1 pound
natural peanut butter
2 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 large onions,
chopped
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper,
or to taste
10 cups chicken broth
3 pounds boneless & skinless chicken breasts
24 ounces tomato paste
3-4 tablespoons tamari
Place peanuts and butter in a food
processor and process until it becomes a thick, crunchy peanut butter. Set
aside. Alternatively, you can use a pound of natural peanut butter.
Heat oil in a large soup
kettle. Sauté the onions and red bell pepper until clear and soft
– about 15-20 minutes. Add cayenne pepper and stir an additional 30
seconds. Add all the broth and bring to a boil. Add the chicken pieces,
return to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 12-15 minutes.
Remove chicken pieces to a cutting board; let cool. Don’t worry if the
chicken isn’t fully cooked; it will finish in the final heating. Add
tomato paste and peanut butter to the broth and whisk until
smooth. Shred the chicken and add back to the pot. Heat through and
season with tamari.
Serves 8-10.
Variations
- Add diced sweet potato, squash, or pumpkin when sautéing the vegetables.
- Stir in some chard or spinach just
before serving.
Labels: african, grondnut stew, peanut stew, soup, zimbabwean
