Chicken groundnut Stew (west Africa)

Stewed Chicken with Peanut-and-Tomato Sauce. To serve 6. Pat the chicken completely dry with paper towels. Combine the salt and ground ginger, and rub the mixture evenly over each piece of chicken. In a heavy 5- to 6-quart casserole, heat the oil over moderate heat until it is very hot but not smoking. Brown the chicken in the hot oil, 3 or 4 pieces at a time, turning the pieces frequently with the tongs and regulating the heat so that they color richly and evenly without burning. As they brown, transfer the pieces to a plate. Discard all but about 1/4 cup of the oil remaining in the pan and drop in the chopped onions. Stirring frequently and scraping the browned particles from the bottom of the pan, cook the onions for about 5 minutes, until they are soft and translucent. Watch carefully for any sign of burning and reduce the heat if necessary. Add the pureed tomatoes, tomato paste, ground shrimp (if available), garlic, ginger root, red pepper and white pepper. Raise the heat to high and stir until the mixture comes to a boil. Then reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes. Stirring constantly, pour in the boiling water in a thin stream and add the dried fish (if available) and the whole chilies. Return the chicken and any liquid accumulated around it to the casserole, and turn the pieces about with a spoon until they are evenly coated. Cook uncovered over low heat for 15 minutes. Stir in the peanut-butter paste and the okra, and continue cooking uncovered for about 1 hour, or until the chicken is tender and the dark meat shows no resistance when pierced with the point of a small, sharp knife. Add the hard-cooked eggs and simmer for 4 or 5 minutes, or until the eggs are heated through. Serve the stew at once, directly from the casserole or mounded attractively in a heated bowl or deep platter, accompanied by as many of the garnishes as you like. GARNISHES: 1/2 cup finely chopped onions 1 cup finely diced fresh pineapple 1/2 cup coarsely chopped unsalted roasted peanuts Diced tomato salad Spiced okra Avocado salad with ginger Fried plantain cubes Diced ripe papaya Yam fufu (below)