Mafe with Green Plantain Chips and Rice

On a chilly winter night, there is nothing better than a big bowl of stew to warm you up. This Senegalese classic stew is a great addition to your repertoire. The earthiness of the peanut butter and the tangy sweetness of the tomato come together so wonderfully.

Ingredients

Mafe:

3 tablespoons peanut oil, divided
1 1/2 lbs lamb or beef stew meat
2 carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 turnip, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 sweet potato, cut into 1-inch pieces
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped
1/4 inch fresh ginger, sliced
1 cup beef stock
1/2 cup peanut butter
28 ounces crushed tomatoes
6 ounces tomato paste
zest and juice from 2 lemons
3 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
1/4 teaspoon mace
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
salt and pepper

Green Plantain Chips:
peanut oil, for deep frying
green plantains, sliced thinly with a mandoline
salt
pepper
ginger powder
cayenne pepper
lemon zest

Instructions
Preheat oven to 225 degrees. Heat two tablespoons of oil in a dutch oven over high heat. Brown the meat on all sides/ Remove the meat with a slotted spoon and set aside. In the dutch oven, brown the cut vegetables and sprinkle salt and pepper on them. Remove the vegetables with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add a tablespoon of oil and saute the onion, garlic, and ginger until the onion is translucent. Place meat and vegetables back in the pot. Reduce heat to medium. Stir in stock and peanut butter. Add the crushed tomatoes and tomato paste. Add more stock if mixture is too thick. Bring mixture to a boil. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, sprigs of thyme, and bay leaves. Place in oven and cook for three hours. When stew is cooked, adjust salt and pepper to taste, and add a tablespoon of butter. Serve with white rice.

Heat oil to 375 degrees and fry the plantain slices for 1-2 minutes, or until golden brown. After frying, sprinkle salt, pepper, ginger powder, cayenne, and lemon zest on top.