Slow Cooker African Fusion Peanut Butter Chicken

Slow Cooker African Fusion  Peanut Butter Chicken

Every once and a while I want food that takes me home to what I learned to cook and enjoyed as a child.

The  first food I learned to cook was Italian the second was African. I love both so this week I decided it would be an easy African meal in my crock pot. I usually do Bi-African cooking but I also enjoy making recipes from West Africa and South Africa as well. I checked several books and sites and came up with a fusion of different versions of this meal from various areas of Africa.

If I made the Bi-African version it would be stew or soup it is still too warm for that so I searched out some African recipes and combined the best of each and took care to make it affordable with reusable products.

Since the ingredients came from several parts of Africa we will call it fusion.

This is the recipe I finally came up with:

Slow Cooker African Fusion  Peanut Butter Chicken

INGREDIENTS:

  11 lb chicken pieces (I use chicken legs or thighs)

·        ¼  cup crunchy peanut butter (unless you prefer creamy)

·        1/8  cup soy sauce

·        1/8  cup brown sugar

·        1 1/2 Tbsp white wine vinegar

·        ½  tsp pepper flakes

·        1 large cloves garlic, crushed or teaspoons

·        ½  green pepper/red pepper

·        2 fresh tomatoes

·        1 tablespoon tomato paste or sauce

·        ½ cup chicken broth  or water

·        chopped peanuts for serving, optional

·        chopped chives for garnish,, optional

DIRECTIONS:

1.   Place the chicken in the slow cooker w/green pepper and tomatoes

2.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the peanut butter,wine, soy sauce, brown sugar, chicken broth, tomato paste, vinegar, water and garlic. Pour over the chicken. Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.

3.  Cook until the internal temperature of the leg is at 160 degrees F.

4. Remove the chicken to a cutting board,

5.  Slice and serve with a spoonful of the sauce in the slow cooker.

6.  If you wish to thicken up the sauce, remove the chicken and whisk in 1 tablespoon cornstarch. Heat over medium, stirring, until the sauce thickens. 

7.  Serve over rice or couscous

8.  Sprinkle of peanuts and chives, if desired.