Sierra Leone Peanut Butter Chilli Chicken

Sierra Leone Peanut Butter Chilli Chicken, with Rice and Salad 

Gladys is a R(evolutionary) U(united) F(ront) refugee whose family had to flee the diamond, rutile and bauxite rich Sierra Leone during the early 1990s. The RUF's decade-long war began in the rural areas, as this loosely defined, savage group began by taking over the villages and surrounding areas. When Gladys' village was entirely surrounded by revolutionaries and without food, her younger brother assayed to climb one of the tall palm trees to fetch down the fruit for them to eat, but, lacking specialist equipment, fell to his death, right in front of her eyes. War inevitably has more than one way of killing people.

Born a Christian, upon her father dying the night he was appointed to a senior government post Gladys and her family became dependants of her Muslim uncle. Given her earlier upbringing, and her grief, she still responds, viscerally, to the muezzin call. Her tale is a fascinating reminder of how many countries in Northern Africa are increasingly Muslim. A number of provinces in Nigeria have begun implementing Shariah law, which is leading to some interesting issues with regard to its constitution and legal processes, amongst others. 

Subsequent to her arrival in London, Gladys married Peter, a Cockney. The night Gladys made us this dish, Peter sat down at the table "en het met lang tande sy kos geproe". The closest equivalent to that is that, with a squeamish expression on his face, he attempted the dish, fully expectant that it would not prove palatable in the slightest. With great astonishment, he noted that "I's qui'e ni' i' is" (that it was quite nice). Upon my saying that I was learning exotic dishes, he proceeded, with all seriousness, to inform me I should also learn traditional British cuisine - like Toad in the Hole or Bangers and Mash! (It was funny, not because it's not exotic, but since a British colonial past means such dishes are part of an English-speaking South African repertoire). His little daughter, mimicking him, will expresses her dislike for any dish by claiming it has "Too much pepper! Too much pepper!" (the people from Sierra Leone call chilli "pepper" - something to be aware of if ever travelling in the region).

People catered for: I have noted four, but I'm sure it would accommodate more. It is very easily expanded to accommodate many more hungry mouths, with very little effort. The proportions of chilli, tomato, onions, aubergines, peanut butter and chicken to each other can easily be amended to suit one's tastes, whether one prefers more of a satay-flavour of peanuts, or more chilli, less chicken, etc. I find that I tended to halve the chicken amounts and have more of a stew.

Peanut Butter Chilli Chicken Recipe 

Time taken: Half an hour only.

1 large onion to 1 1/2 onions. 

8 deboned, skinned chicken breasts cut into biggish or bite-sized chunks 

2 tbls oil (though best for this dish is peanut or "ground-nut" oil)

Medium to large aubergine (egg-plant), diced into large pieces 

1 tin peeled tomatoes

Salt or chicken stock or both

2 - 3 heaped Tablespoons SMOOTH peanut butter

1 cup boiling water

1 tsp chilli powder, or 1 tsp Ghanaian Chilli Chutney

A few notes: Onions make the sauce, so the more you use, the juicier the stew will be. You can use chicken thighs instead of the chicken fillets or breasts, but then the stew will take longer to cook - but will tend to be more tender and tasty. The amount of aubergine put in again depends on how 'saucy' you like your meal. If you kids swear off the taste of aubergine, or you can't find it, then you can add potatoes, cut up very small so as to cook quickly, to the stew instead; they will thicken it for you. In such an instance, however, I'd definitely advocate the chicken thighs since the fillet strips will cook too quickly and become tough.

Heat oil in pan. Sweat onion therein, until fairly brown. Add aubergine chunks, let them soften. Move onion and aubergine mix to one side, add chicken onto hot bottom of the pot, so as to seal the meat.

It is particularly important to seal it if you are using chicken with bones still in it.

Sealing the chicken thighs in the pan after the onions have been caramelised 

Add salt - to taste - to mixture (or, you can add chicken stick in place of the salt). Leave to cook until the meat is becoming tender, then add the tin of peeled tomatoes, bring to boil, then leave it to simmer.

Place the two big tablespoons of smooth peanut butter in a cup and fill with boiling water. Stir until it is a thick paste (it almost 'sets' again and is very difficult to whip up and stir - I let my husband's superior strength and whipping skills loose at this stage of the meal). Add to dish. Add chicken stock if necessary. Let simmer. Please do note that as the sauce thickens, it will tend to stick to the bottom of the pan, so it is not something you can leave without some small level of supervision.

At this stage, add about 1 teaspoon of red chilli powder, or, preferably, a teaspoon or so of Amazing Grace's Ghanaian Chilli Chutney).

Amazing Grace, from whom I learnt to make Ghanaian Chilli Chutney when in Saudi Arabia

I have written about Grace's chilli chutney before, all I can say is that a dollop of it into any cooked dish requiring chillies adds a depth of flavour and intensity that is difficult to beat. Heat and complexity at one and the same time.

Creamy Sierra Leone Peanut Butter Chilli Chicken with Ghanaian Chilli Chutney 

You can utilise more of the fiery stuff - depending on the extent to which you have become dependent on a chilli-induced endorphin rush. Or, if you have children, you can first serve them the food (which they will remark upon as being particularly delicious) and then add the chilli paste. Or, since the chilli paste, being cooked already, has a depth of flavour and texture already, just take the jar of chilli paste to the table with you and dish up to suit your personal heat preferences:

Always keep Amazing Grace's Ghanaian Chilli Chutney in the fridge

Hmm - the above doesn't look too appetising - but I suppose a lot of the slightly bland colour is due to the fact that we refrigerate the chilli paste since it has no preservatives in it. This is what it looks like when freshly done:

Sierra Leone Peanut Butter Chilli / Chili / Pepper Chicken best made with Ghanaian Chili Chutney 

Basically, that's it! It is ready in under half an hour, especially if, for the chicken, you buy those pre-prepared breasts, stripped of skin and bones and chop it into neat bite-sized chunks. Serve with rice. It's a lovely rich stew really, with a delicious sauce. One of my very favourites - particularly given how short a time it takes from beginning to end.

Mike, one of our foodies channel, added tahina to the stew and said it gave a creamy, delicious result.