The Most Creative Ways to Cook Chicken This Fall

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© iStock / Getty Images Plus / ALLEKO

Chicken Mafé

The key to cooking the perfect mafé is patience. Allow the stew to simmer slowly until the oil rises to the surface, as this will make for a smoother sauce. It might sound like an unusual mix, but peanut butter stirred into tomato paste creates a deliciously earthy flavor. Serve piping hot with cooked white rice —  it's just what you'll need on a cold November night. 

Ingredients (for 6 people):

• 3 medium garlic cloves (finely chopped)
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger (peeled and finely chopped)
• 1 lbs. bone-in chicken thighs (skin removed)
• 1 lbs. chicken drumsticks (skin removed)
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 small yellow onion (chopped)
• 1  can tomato paste
• 1/4 cup fish sauce 
• 7 cups water
• 1 cup unsweetened creamy peanut butter 
• 8 oz. green cabbage (cored and cut into 2-inch wedges)
• 3 carrots (cut into 2-inch-long pieces)
• 2 medium potatoes (peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces)
• 1 medium-size sweet potato (peeled and cut into 1 1/2 -inch pieces)
• Sliced fresh chiles, to taste (optional)
  
• Salt and pepper (for seasoning)

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, stir garlic, ginger, salt, and black pepper. Add the chicken and garlic. Cover with plastic wrap for refrigerate for 3 to 12 hours.
2. In a large Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-heat. Add the onions and allow them to sweat for 3 min. Stir in tomato paste and fish sauce and cook, stirring constantly until the tomato paste caramelizes. This should take about 6 mins.
3. Add the cups of water, scraping up and browned bits from the bottom of the Dutch oven. 
4. Add the chicken and bring to boil over high heat before reducing heat to medium-low.
5. Place peanut butter in a medium-size heatproof bowl and stir in 1 1/2 cups liquid from the Dutch oven (1/4 cup at a time) until the peanut butter has thinned out. Add to mixture in the Dutch oven, and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Simmer for 20 min.
6. Stir in the cabbage and carrots before returning to simmer over medium-low heat for 10 min.
7. Stir in the potato and sweet potato before returning to simmer over medium-low heat until the chicken and veggies are tender and the oil has sperated from the sauce. This should take 30 min. 
8. Remove from heat and stir in the chiles. Season with salt and pepper, before serving over a bed of rice.