Groundnut Chop

Groundnuts is just a fancy name for peanuts, a West African cash crop. Peanuts originally came to Africa by way of South America, their original native habitat. They are really more of a pea than a nut, just look at the shell and its resemblance to a peapod. These "nuts that grow in the ground" are a star player in many West African sauces, soups and snack foods. In this recipe, peanut butter is used as a thickener for the sauce. Be sure you buy natural peanut butter made from only peanuts, no sugar or hydrogenated oils added. This sauce is tasty enough on its own, but when you add a spoonful each of various toppings like tomato, coconut, pineapple, sliced bananas and hardboiled egg, it is an irresistable and festive meal.

The Toppings

Half the fun of serving groundnut chop is the long line of toppings that your guests spoon over the top of their rice and sauce. You can go with 3 or 4 toppings for a simple meal, or make the topping buffet an event in itself. A variety of tastes and textures such as salty, crunchy, soft, sweet and fruity or spicy will add layers of interest to this dish. Feel free to add your own ideas to the list below.

• sliced bananas sprinkled with lemon or orange juice (to keep them from turning brown)
• chopped tomatoes
• chopped hot pepper
• sliced cucumber
• fresh grated coconut (not sweetened)
• sliced onion, sprinkled with vinegar and sugar
• diced fresh pineapple
• chopped, roasted peanuts
• papaya, peeled and cut in chunks, mixed with lemon juice and thinly sliced fresh chiles
• fresh okra cooked with onion, garlic and pepper, or canned okra
• avocado peeled, cubed and mixed with lemon juice, ground ginger and salt
• fresh mango peeled and cubed
• sliced hardboiled eggs (included in the recipe below)
• eggplant peeled, cubed and fried or boiled
• fried onion rings
• spicy plantain bites

Groundnut Chop

Ingredient list

• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 3 lbs (1 1 ⁄ 2 kilograms) chicken pieces, skin removed if desired
• 1 lb (500 grams) beef, cut in chunks
• 2-3 tomatoes
• 1 onion
• 2 fresh hot peppers, seeded
• 2 tablespoons peanut oil
• 1 teaspoon ground crayfish
• 1 ⁄ 2 teaspoon thyme
• 1 ⁄ 2 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 ⁄ 2 cup (125 grams) smooth, unsweetened peanut butter
• 6 hardboiled eggs, peeled

Preparation

1. Mix salt and ground ginger in a small bowl, and rub thoroughly into chicken pieces on all sides. Cover and leave at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
2. In a food processorr or blender, grind tomatoes, onion and hot peppers until smooth. Set aside
3. Heat oil in a large, heavy or non-stick pan. Add chicken pieces and beef. Brown well on both sides over medium-high heat. Remove from pan and set aside.
4. Add ground vegetables to pan and simmer for about 15 minutes, uncovered.
5. Add ground red pepper, crayfish, salt, thyme, tomato paste and two cups (450 ml) water. Mix well and bring to a boil.
6. Measure peanut butter into small, heat-resistant bowl. Ladle about one cup of broth from the sauce into the bowl, and mix well with the peanut butter. Add this paste back into pan with the sauce.
7. Return chicken and beef to the pot. Simmer uncovered over medium heat, 30-45 minutes, until chicken is fully cooked.
8. Add whole, peeled eggs to sauce during the last 10 minutes of cooking. You can remove the eggs after sauce is cooked and serve them sliced with the other toppings, or you can leave them whole in the sauce.

Serve sauce over rice, and spoon toppings over the top.
Yield: 6 servings