The Muffett family’s Groundnut Chop has been a tradition for as long as I can remember, and the tradition goes back way before I was born.

For several years I have intended to pull the recipe details together and post them – yet have never gotten around to it; however I am cooking one of these in a few weeks, for about 16 folk, so rather than keep losing the e-mails and notes instead I shall post it all to the blog.

Hopefully that way I won’t lose it again.

These notes come from my sister Mandy; the list of side dishes come from a particularly large chop that my sisters and I helped contrive, many years ago. Forgive any repetition – the list is a bit hard to edit.

ps: the hard-boiled eggs don’t work for everyone, but I love them.

recipe notes:

In his day dad was known as a great cook and his “signature dish” was “Groundnut Chop” (or Groundnut Stew) ; he spent many years in Nigeria in the Colonial Service which is where he learned this dish.

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GROUNDNUT CHOP
(Hausa:- K’aurin gyad’a)

West African but especially Northern Nigeria

Pick quantities to serve eight hearty eaters.

Have ready sufficient chicken portions to provide a wing, one drumstick, one thigh and half of a breast for each person.

Bone out the portions and stew all bones, giblets, trimmings etc., to make a good strong broth. Do not bone out the wings, however.

Using groundnut oil or corn oil, fry all chicken until a light golden brown and just beginning to crisp.

Remove from pan and allow to drip dry.

In the same oil fry two large onions , sliced thin, until well browned. Drain thoroughly.

Hard boil one small egg per person. Peel and put in salted water to cool and set for at least half an hour.

Assemble 3/4 of cup each of diced sweet peppers, sultanas, raisins, currants, unsalted peanuts (wash the salt off if you can’t get anything else) and a couple of Okra per person (obtainable from Sainsbury’s), two teaspoons grated ginger a cupful of raw onion chopped small and a cupful of sliced tomatoes.

One pound jar of crunchy peanut butter and one half-pound jar of smooth peanut butter.

You can now set to work.

In a large casserole put a sprinkling of the fried onions and of the diced peppers, etc., the grated ginger and the chopped onions and tomatoes. Now put in a layer of the fried chicken portions. Then repeat the other items, then more chicken pieces etc. and so on. Don’t over fill. Leave a good space at the top. Put in the hard-boiled eggs.

Take a pint and a half of stock (from bones etc.) and blend into it enough peanut butter (2/3 crunchy and 1/3 smooth) to make a thickish creamy liquid. Pour into casserole and allow to settle. This is best done with the stock hot.

Repeat the same mixture until enough has been made to cover the eggs.

Put in oven at Gas 4 / 350 F / 180 C for two hours. The lid should be tight fitting. If not put a square of oven foil under the lid first and then put the lid on.

Serve on boiled rice and allow guests to add the following from an array of side dishes.

To be authentic there should be at least 16. The most I ever saw was 103.

Serve with very cold cider.

sauces:

• encona
• maggi
• salsa
• tabasco
• worcester sauce
• peppered spirits (eg: whisky, brandy, gin, vodka; steep chillis for 1+ years)

side dishes:

• avocado something, diced, in lime juice
• beans/pulses, cooked, various
• bread
• black olives
• brinjal chutney (eggplant/aubergine chutney)
• candied ginger
• candied pineapple
• cashews
• chopped apple
• chopped avocado
• chopped bananas
• chopped celery
• chopped cucumber
• chopped dates
• chopped garlic
• chopped hard-boiled egg
• chopped pineapple (tinned is fine)
• coarse mixed salad
• coriander naan bread
• corn
• cornbread
• couscous
• cucumber diced in lime and salt
• diced green pepper
• diced jalapeno, yellow banana, or other hot peppers
• diced sweet (bell) peppers – red
• diced yellow pepper
• dried apples
• dried apricot
• dried banana chips
• dried cranberries
• eggplant/aubergine sambal
• feta cheese chunks
• figs (if in season)
• finely sliced fried cabbage
• fresh banana
• fresh sliced chilis
• fresh coriander
• fresh diced tomatoes
• fresh herbs
• fresh mangoes
• fresh pine nuts
• fried eggplant/aubergine
• fried mushrooms
• fried onions
• fried plantain
• fried sliced bananas
• garlic pickle
• grapefruit segments
• grapes
• grated carrot
• grated coconut
• grated ginger (works for me)
• green olives
• guava
• hard boiled eggs
• houmous
• kiwi
• kumquats
• lemon eighths
• lightly butter-fried asparagus (hate soggy)
• lime eighths
• lime pickle
• little round peppers stuffed with anchovy paste
• lychees
• mandarin oranges
• mango (tinned is fine)
• mango chutney
• okra (dad’s recipe says boiled; alt fried in olive oil)
• orange slices (tinned is fine)
• papaya
• peanuts – dry roasted
• peanuts – plain
• peanuts – salted
• pecans
• peeled orange slices (chopped small)
• pepadew
• physalis
• pickled egg
• pickled onion
• pineapple
• plain poppodums/pappads
• polenta slices plain
• polenta slices with olives
• polenta slices with sundried tomato
• potato curry
• prawn sambal
• prunes (good for a joke)
• raisins
• raw mushrooms
• roast pumpkin
• roasted coconut
• roasted pepper – green
• roasted pepper – yellow
• roasted peppers – red
• selection ground spices
• selection of dried herbs
• sesame seeds raw
• sesame seeds toasted
• shredded cheddar
• shredded fresh coconut
• shredded or diced spring onions (scallion)
• sliced fennel
• sliced pickled walnuts
• sliced zucchini/courgette
• smoked garlic
• spicy fish cakes
• spicy poppodums/pappads
• sun dried tomatoes
• sweet potato
• toasted almonds
• toasted pine nuts
• toasted shredded coconut
• tomato
• vegetable curry
• walnuts
• watercress
• white steamed rice
• wild & red rice
• yams
• yogurt plain greek
• yogurt with mint and cucumber
• zucchini/courgette sambal