From Scratch

I was attracted to this hearty stew the moment I saw the recipe, but it was 100 degrees (38C) when it was published last summer in a New York Times article about Senegalese food in Harlem. Now that it’s about 90 degrees colder, it was a perfect time to try it.

And I am bowled over by it. This is a soulful stew with fork-tender meat and deep flavors which are not obliterated by the use of a hot pepper. There’s heat, yes — it calls for a Scotch Bonnet, which I used, or a Habanero and they are two of the hottest peppers on the Scoville Scale. But one pepper, even retaining the seeds as I did, does not overwhelm the vast amount of stew. This is not a dish that makes one perspire unless, perhaps, one’s tolerance or taste for heat ends with jalapenos.

I made a few changes. The original recipe uses fresh tomatoes. If I could get decent tomatoes in January I’d have used them. I can’t, so I used a can of petite diced tomatoes — my rendering of the recipe reflects that — and instead of letting the juice go down the drain I strained it into a measuring cup and added enough water to make 8 ounces, using that instead of plain water to dilute the tomato paste. 

I had broccoli on hand and used that in place of the recommended cauliflower or cabbage and even though I cooked it with the stew at the directed step, placing it on top, I did chop it and add it back to the pot after taking the photos. I used an extra potato instead of okra.

And the peanut butter? Well, I’m still trying to use up a jar of natural PB I bought by mistake, so that went into this dish. The Senegalese cook featured in The Times uses good old Skippy; her friends back in Senegal laugh and say it’s too sweet.

Peanut Lamb Stew

Adapted from The New York Times

2 pounds lamb, leg or shoulder, cut into 1 1/4-inch pieces
2 tsp kosher salt, or more to taste, divided
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper, or more to taste
1 tablespoon peanut or canola oil
1 1/2 cups diced onions
6 cloves garlic, chopped
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
3/4 cup peanut butter, preferably unsweetened
1 6-ounce can tomato paste
2 14-ounce cans low-sodium chicken broth
1 Scotch Bonnet or Habanero chili, split but left whole
1/2 teaspoon sugar (if using unsweetened peanut butter)
2 large carrots, peeled, cut into 6 large pieces *
1 large baking potato, peeled, cut into 6 large pieces
1 head of cabbage or cauliflower, cored, cut into 6 large pieces
12 small pods fresh okra

Cooked white rice for serving

* I have become unspeakably lazy about carrot prep since the peeled, baby-size carrots came to market. I used about 6 ounces. And you’ll want a very large pot for this stew, ideally 6 quarts or larger. It will fit into a 5-quart Dutch oven, but only barely.

Season the lamb with 1 1/2 teaspoons of the salt and with the pepper. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat until shimmering, then brown the lamb in batches, making sure not to crowd the pan. Transfer each batch to a plate and set aside.

Add the diced onions, stirring and scraping up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Add the garlic and saute until the onion is beginning to brown.

Mix the peanut butter with 1 1/2 cups of very hot water and reserve. In another bowl or measuring cup, mix the tomato sauce with 1 cup of water (or the juice from the canned tomatoes and enough water to make 1 cup) and reserve.

Add the tomatoes to the pot, stir well and let cook until the tomatoes are breaking down, about 5 minutes. Add the reserved peanut butter mixture, the tomato paste mixture, the chicken broth, chili pepper, remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt and the sugar, if using.

Cover, bring to a simmer, then reduce heat and add the lamb and any juices that have accumulated on the plate. Replace the cover part way and let simmer 35 minutes. Add carrots and potatoes, partially cover the pot and simmer another 25 minutes. Add the cabbage or cauliflower and the okra and continue to simmer about 20 minutes, until vegetables are tender.

Remove chili pepper. Adjust salt and pepper if necessary. Let stew rest 5 minutes then serve over hot, white rice.

Serves 6 -8

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Tags: lamb, tomatoes