Peanut butter chicken bake recipe

Peanut butter is not only for spreading on your toast in the morning — it is also makes a delicious combination with chicken.

Top taste: This recipe provides a peanut-crusted topping for the chicken, with a base of tomato and potato. Picture: Andy Rogers

THESE days it wouldn’t be surprising if peanut butter was a good rival for Vegemite on many breakfast tables, such is the variety now available in stores, be it smooth, chunky or dark roast.

To my taste, it’s one a foodie’s best treats — fresh peanut butter spread on crusty white bread.

You can easily make your own at home, and you don’t need a sophisticated machine to help you. Just make sure that if you are roasting the nuts first, make sure you allow them to cool completely before use, or you’ll end up with runny peanut butter.

Homemade or store-bought, peanut butter makes a delicious flavouring for this baked chicken dish.

PEANUT BUTTER CHICKEN BAKE

PEANUT butter and chicken is one of the best combinations. The chicken gets a peanut-crusted topping with a flavourful tomato and sweet potato base for a great, all-in-one meal.

Serves 4

½ cup natural peanut butter, smooth or chunky

2 birdseye chillies, very finely chopped (keep the seeds from one of them for an optional addition, depending on your capacity to enjoy the chilli)

5 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Juice of 2-3 lemons (about ¼ cup)

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

Salt

8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat

1 large onion, chopped

¼ cup fresh coriander leaves, coarsely chopped

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1cm cubes

1 punnet cherry tomatoes

½ cup shelled roasted, salted peanuts, coarsely chopped

Thoroughly combine the peanut butter, chillies, 3 tablespoons of the oil, lemon juice, 2 teaspoons of the garlic and ¾ teaspoon salt in a large zip-top plastic bag. Lightly sprinkle the chicken thighs with salt and then add to the marinade. Refrigerate for 1 hour, massaging every 15 minutes to ensure the flavours are embraced well by the chicken.

Position a rack in the centre of the oven, and heat the oven to 190C (170C fan).

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a large ovenproof frying pan (ideally one that is cast-iron) on medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion, remaining garlic, 2 tablespoons of coriander and ½ teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens and the garlic is fragrant. Stir in the sweet potatoes. Cover the saucepan, and cook until the sweet potatoes just start to soften, stirring once, about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat.

Remove the lid from the frying pan, and add the tomatoes. Remove the chicken from the marinade, and place smooth side up over the tomatoes, spooning the marinade on top of each. Scatter the peanuts over the chicken and then transfer the pan to the oven. Cook about 30 minutes.

Turn on the oven grill and heat to high. Cook the dish until the top of the chicken and the peanuts turn light golden, 1 to 2 minutes, watching closely so that it doesn’t burn. Rest the chicken for 10 minutes before serving, sprinkled with the remaining coriander.

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HOMEMADE PEANUT BUTTER

IF YOU can’t find raw peanuts, or are on a tight budget, go for salted ones. Raw peanuts are also often sold with the skins on, which adds flavour as well as fibre.

Heat the oven to 180C (160C fan) and spread 500g raw peanuts out in one layer on a baking tray. Roast for about 10-20 minutes until evenly browned. Allow to cool completely.

Whiz the nuts in a food processor into coarse crumbs. If making crunchy peanut butter, scoop out a quarter of the peanut crumbs and set aside.

With the motor running, add 1 tablespoon peanut oil, then whiz again, pausing to scrape down the sides if necessary, until you have a smooth, creamy texture. Add ½ teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon honey and taste. For the final crunch, stir in the reserved nuts and spoon into a jar. The mix will keep in the fridge for a couple of months.

THIGH OR BREAST?

A KEY difference between the chicken thigh and breast is thighs tend to be more fatty. The dark meat is kept moist by the layer of skin usually kept on thighs when sold.

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