Chicken Mafé

Mince the garlic and ginger, and squeeze the juice from half a lemon. Combine the boneless chicken thighs with the garlic, ginger, lemon juice, salt and black pepper, cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

Heat 30 ml of peanut oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken in batches until golden brown, about 5–6 minutes per side, then transfer to a plate.

In the same pot, sauté the finely chopped onion for 5–6 minutes until softened. Add the tomato paste and cook for another 2 minutes, then pour in the fish sauce and 1050 ml of water, and bring to a boil.

In a separate bowl, whisk the peanut butter with a few ladles of the hot broth until smooth. Stir this mixture back into the pot, add the finely chopped hot pepper and bay leaf, and mix well.

Return the chicken to the sauce, then add the carrots sliced into rounds, the potatoes cut into chunks, and the cabbage cut into large pieces. Cover with a lid and simmer over low heat for about 30 minutes, until the chicken and potatoes are tender.

Remove the chicken and vegetables with a slotted spoon, then boil the sauce uncovered for another 10–12 minutes, stirring frequently, until it thickens and reduces by about half. Return the chicken and vegetables to the pot, add the juice of the remaining lemon, adjust the salt and black pepper to taste, and sprinkle with crushed roasted peanuts.

For the rice, rinse it well, add 700 ml of water, season with salt and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to the lowest setting and cook for about 12 minutes until the water is absorbed, then let it stand covered for 2 minutes. Serve the mafé hot over the rice.