Mafé

Ingredients

• 900g beef chuck, cut into 4cm chunks
• 3 tbsp groundnut oil
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 200g smooth unsweetened peanut butter
• 4 tbsp tomato purée
• 400g tin chopped tomatoes
• 3 carrots, cut into batons
• 400g sweet potato, cut into chunks
• 1/4 white cabbage, cut into wedges
• 1 scotch bonnet pepper
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 thyme sprigs
• 1 stock cube
• 1.2 litres water
• 1 1/2 tsp salt

Before you cook

• Cut the beef into 4cm chunks and pat it dry.
• Chop the onions finely and mince the garlic.
• Peel and cut the carrots into batons and the sweet potato into chunks.
• Cut the cabbage into wedges through the root so they hold together.
• Whisk the peanut butter with 300ml of cold water in a jug until smooth.

Steps

1. Heat the groundnut oil in a heavy casserole over high heat.
2. Brown the beef in two batches for 5 minutes each, until it is deeply coloured all over.
3. Lift the beef out and turn the heat down to medium.
4. Fry the onions in the same pot for 6 minutes until soft.
5. Stir in the garlic and cook it for 1 minute.
6. Add the tomato purée and fry it for 3 minutes until it darkens.
7. Pour in the tinned tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes.
8. Return the beef with the bay leaves, thyme, stock cube and 900ml of water.
9. Bring the pot to a simmer, cover it, and cook gently for 45 minutes.
10. Whisk the loosened peanut butter into the pot until no lumps remain.
11. Add the carrots, sweet potato and the whole scotch bonnet.
12. Simmer uncovered for 25 minutes, stirring up from the bottom every 5 minutes so the peanut does not catch.
13. Tuck the cabbage wedges in and cook for a final 10 minutes.
14. Season with the salt and lift out the scotch bonnet, bay leaves and thyme.
15. Rest the stew off the heat for 5 minutes so the oil rises, then serve it with white rice.