West African Chicken and Peanut Stew

Hey there! While not the HEALTHIEST option on the recipe forums...i made this for the first time tonight and it is F'ING DELICIOUS!!!! I am sure others can pull it apart and health it up...but this is exactly how I made it...and boy oh boy was it good.

2 tablespoons coconut or olive oil
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 large onion
5 large garlic cloves, peeled and minced
2 large sweet potatoes, scrubbed , peeled & diced
1 quart chicken stock
1 cup chunky peanut butter
¼ teaspoon cayenne
1 28 ounce jar (or can) chopped tomatoes with juice
14 ounce can coconut milk (light or full fat)
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat coconut or olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add chicken thighs in a single layer and brown on both sides. You’ll want to do this in a couple of batches so they brown instead of steam. Remove chicken and set aside.
Add onions to pot; cook and stir for 3-4 minutes scraping up any browned bits of chicken. Add garlic; cook and stir about 30 seconds, just until fragrant. Add the next 7 ingredients – sweet potatoes through tomatoes. Stir until well combined and peanut butter is distributed. Return chicken thighs to pot, stir, and bring to a simmer.
Cover the pot and simmer gently for one hour.
After an hour, remove the chicken thighs and set them aside for a few moments until they’re cool enough to handle. Use two forks to shred the meat and return to stew. Add coconut milk and stir to combine. Cover and simmer 15 minutes more.
Add salt, freshly ground black pepper, and cayenne (if you like some kick) to taste. Ladle in to individual soup bowls and garnish with peanuts and cilantro.

(I skipped the garnish as the chunky peanut butter left plenty of crunch to the stew and I am not fond of cilantro)

Serves 8-10

When you make this, start at least 2 hours before plan to eat. There is not a lot of active time, but the stew needs time to simmer. If you prefer a vegetarian version of, swap in vegetable broth and perhaps kick up the spice.

I hope you all enjoy...i had my doubts right up until I tasted it...AMAZING!!!!!

-Rob