Mafé is a Senegalese classic. It is also an entrant into the peanut stew sweepstakes that could be held for dishes from all over the continent. Here the meat of choice is lamb, but mafé could also be prepared from beef or chicken. Traditionally the stew is served with white rice.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons peanut oil
• 1 large onion, minced
• 2 pounds lamb stew meat, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 1/2 cups cold water
• 1/3 cup tomato paste
• 2 cups hot water
• 4 large carrots, scraped and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions