Mafé: Savory Peanut Sauce
Versatile Comfort Food by Way of Senegal
Lamb Shank Mafé | Dara O’Brien
By Dara O’Brien
Creative Director, Lake Isle Press
Peanut butter is something you spread on bread or bake into cookies or maybe brownies; you don’t cook with it. At least that’s what I used to think. But then I watched the Food & Wine Cooks video of Chef Pierre Thiam making Poulet Mafé (chicken in a peanut sauce). Pierre made it sound so enticing and fun to cook, and it looked so delicious I would swear I could smell it.
But there’s this thing about me: sometimes (okay, frequently—in fact most of the time) I have trouble trying new food or food combinations. Silly, I know, but it’s a tendency that’s been ingrained in me since childhood, and not easy to overcome. I just couldn’t imagine what a warm, savory peanut buttery gravy would taste like.
So I hesitated before making Pierre’s mafé. What if I didn’t like it? What if I had to toss it? (Wasting food = bad citizen of the earth.) Curiosity and craving—and the chance to rattle the bars of my self-imposed culinary cage—trounced my misgivings.
I began by consulting Pierre’s Lamb Shank Mafé recipe from “Senegal: Modern Senegalese Recipes from the Source to the Bowl,” published by Lake Isle Press. Then, inspired by his video, I tweaked the recipe, substituting chicken and veggies for the lamb.
I made the sauce as directed, then turned it to a low simmer and added browned bone-in chicken pieces to the pot. After half an hour or so, I mixed in some cabbage, onions, and carrots, keeping the pot at a low simmer for another forty-five minutes or so until the meat was tender and falling off the bone. The mafé made a tasty base for both the chicken and the veggies, and the result was a savory stew with a subtle peanut flavor.
Since I followed the full recipe for the sauce but used less than half the quantity of other ingredients, I had plenty of leftover sauce, which I froze and defrosted a few days ago to braise a pair of lamb shanks. The sauce was still smooth, and so rich I diluted it with water and was able to cover the lamb for a slow braise. I checked Pierre’s recipe for timing, but at an hour and a half the shanks were still tough, so I kept on simmering. Two and a half hours at a low simmer did the trick.
Even with the same batch of sauce each meal was a little different. The lamb shanks were rich and full of flavor; served with fonio pilaf the meal was simple and elegant. The chicken stew with plenty of veggies gave a balance to the rich sauce (the cabbage was especially good), and it was a more hardy experience.
The recipe is easily adaptable to other meats, or as a vegetarian or vegan meal with tofu or no protein at all. Sweet potatoes, kale, white beans, butternut squash, potatoes, and turnips would all be great additions. And it’s worth noting that since the sauce freezes well, you can cook once, eat twice—and depending on what you put into it, each meal can be a different experience.
Lamb Shank Mafé Recipe
With Rof Gremolata
Serves 6
Click here for printable recipe.
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil, plus more if needed
6 lamb shanks (about 1 ¼ pounds each)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups chopped yellow onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste, mixed with a few tablespoons water
2 quarts chicken stock or water
2 dried bay leaves
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme
1 cup unsweetened smooth peanut butter
1 Scotch bonnet pepper
2 tablespoons Vietnamese or Thai fish sauce
Rof Gremolata for serving
Spring Vegetable Fonio Pilaf for serving
PREPARATION
Heat the oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season the lamb shanks with salt and pepper. Add the shanks a few at a time, without overcrowding. Brown them well on all sides, about 8 minutes, and set aside on a plate. Repeat until all the shanks are nicely browned, adding more oil if necessary.
In the same pan, brown the onions. Reduce the heat to low and add the minced garlic. Stir well, then add the diluted tomato paste. Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, for 7 to 10 minutes, until a deep, dark red. Add another tablespoon or two of water to prevent scorching, if needed.
Add the stock, raise the heat, and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Add the bay leaves, thyme, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Slowly add the peanut butter 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time, stirring constantly to dissolve it in the liquid.
Return the shanks to the pot, pressing down to submerge them in the sauce. Add the Scotch bonnet and fish sauce. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for about 1 hour and 30 minutes, until the shanks are tender.
Uncover the pot and continue cooking until the sauce is thick and coats the back of a spoon. Remove the bay leaves and skim off the fat. Adjust the seasoning.
Serve the lamb shanks and sauce hot, on a platter. Top each shank with a generous pinch of gremolata and serve with a side of fonio pilaf.
Recipe from ”Senegal, Modern Senegalese Recipes From the Source to the Bowl” by Pierre Thiam with Jennifer Sit, Lake Isle Press, 2015
SPRING VEGETABLE FONIO PILAF
Click here for printable recipe.
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil
1 shallot, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 large carrot, diced
½ cup vegetable or chicken broth
¼ cup fresh or frozen green peas
¼ cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
2 cups cooked fonio
2 scallions, thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Serves 4
PREPARATION
Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the shallot and cook until soft but not brown, about 1 minute. Add the garlic and carrots and cook for another 3 minutes, until the garlic is fragrant. Add the broth and simmer, covered, until the carrots are tender, about 10 minutes.
Add the peas and corn and cook for about 1 minute. Fold in the fonio and scallions and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot or at room temperature.
Recipe from ”The Fonio Cookbook” by Pierre Thiam, Lake Isle Press, 2019
Note: Fonio is available at select grocers including Whole Foods nationwide. You can order Yolélé Fonio through Yolélé and Amazon.
ROF GREMOLATA
INGREDIENTS
1 bunch parsley, leaves finely chopped
3 scallions, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ Scotch bonnet pepper, seeded and finely chopped
Grated zest of 1 lemon
Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Makes 1 cup
PREPARATION
Gently combine the parsley, scallions, garlic, Scotch bonnet, and lemon zest in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 1 week.
Recipe from ”Senegal, Modern Senegalese Recipes From the Source to the Bowl” by Pierre Thiam with Jennifer Sit, Lake Isle Press, 2015
Poulet Mafé | Dara O’Brien
Lamb Shank Mafé Recipe
from Senegal: Modern Senegalese Recipes From the Source to the Bowl
by Pierre Thiam with Jennifer Sit, Lake Isle Press, 2015
“…a masterclass in…West African cuisine. Get ready to pack your bags for this culinary adventure.—Carla Hall
Inspired by the depth of Senegalese cooking and the many people he’s met on his culinary journey, these recipes are Pierre Thiam’s creative, modern takes on the traditional. Learn to cook the vibrant, diverse food of Senegal, such as soulful stews full of meat falling off the bone; healthy ancient grains and dark leafy greens with superfood properties; fresh seafood grilled over open flame, served with salsas singing of bright citrus and fiery peppers; and lots of fresh vegetables and salads bursting with West African flavors.
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