Maffé Chicken with Pasta
If you’ve never heard of maffé, you’re missing out! It’s West Africa’s answer to our ubiquitous tomato-based sauces like ketchup and marinara. Maffé generally contains tomatoes, too, but peanuts/peanut butter is the predominant ingredient. (Or, as they’re called in Africa, “groundnuts.” Europeans often refer to peanuts as groundnuts, too — Erdnuss, or “earth nut,” is the German word for peanut. After all, peanuts grow underground! That’s why you see the term “tree nut” on food packaging — all other nuts grow on trees. But we don’t get into the botanical aspects of peanuts not actually being nuts…) The peanutty aspect of maffé lends it a full, savory flavor that complements meat and veggie dishes alike.
You can make your own version of maffé, of course, but this time I opted for a delicious maffé I found at Zingerman’s. Kitchens of Africa is a North-Carolina-based company founded by a Gambian woman who found herself unable to return home but wanted to recreate her favorite dishes. Her maffé is one of the few pre-made sauces I love to use — it’s incredibly flavorful, with ingredients like lime, onion, ginger, garlic, and mushrooms along with the staple peanuts and tomatoes.
Since the maffé has some heat thanks to habaneros, I often add cream to my maffé-inspired dishes. Maffé + cream turned out to be an excellent sauce for my leftover turkey! But really, that’s not surprising — maffé is often paired with chicken in West African cuisine. Bet it would be good with shrimp, too. I’m starting to think that nearly anything is delicious paired with maffé!
Maffé Chicken with Pasta
This is a ridiculously easy meal to make if you have some maffé and leftover chicken or turkey on hand. (Duck or goose would work, too.)
Prepare a pot of your favorite whole-grain pasta (be sure to use gluten-free pasta if you’re making a gluten-free dish). While it’s simmering, shred the cooked chicken/turkey and place it in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add a hearty dollop of maffé to the skillet, stir well, and simmer for a few minutes to heat through. Remove from heat and stir in a dash of cream before tossing with the drained pasta.
So much flavor! And a great way to transform leftover roasted chicken or turkey into something completely different.
Enjoy!
