Dinner Tonight: Chicken, Peanut, and Sweet Potato Stew

3/19/2014

An African-influenced Southern stew with a beautiful combination of flavors, this recipe comes from the Biloxi Lighthouse in Biloxi, Mississippi.

Chicken, Peanut, and Sweet Potato Stew

From Becky Sue Epstein's and Ed Jackson's The American Lighthouse Cookbook: The Best Recipes and Stories from America's Shorelines, published by Cumberland House.

 

  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 6 chicken thighs, boneless and skinless
  • 1 tablespoon salt, divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, sliced
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
  • 1-1/2 cups unsalted roasted peanuts
  • 1 15-ounce can whole tomatoes, drained and chopped
  • 4 cups chicken stock
  • 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme

 

Heat the oil in a large pan. Season the chicken with 1-1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Fry the chicken until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Remove the chicken and set aside.

Stir in the onion, bell pepper, and garlic, and cook for 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Cube the chicken and return to the pot. Pour in the wine and simmer until liquid is reduced by half. Add the sweet potatoes, peanuts, tomatoes, stock, ginger, thyme, and remaining salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for 30-35 minutes.

Yields 4 servings.