(Author photos)
October 26, 2025
By Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley
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This recipe is an adaptation of maafe — a West African peanut stew. The dish originated in Senegal, from which its popularity spread across neighboring countries. Today, maafe is also staple food in Mali, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Guinea-Bissau, Nigeria, Niger and parts of the Ivory Coast. Maafe owes its unique flavor to peanut butter, which thickens the sauce, while an assortment of peppers — smoked paprika, serrano, bell peppers and cayenne — add a spicy foil that does not overpower.
Venison shank was brilliant in this stew. After slow-cooking for 2.5 hours, all the tendons became melt-in-your-mouth tender. So, when deboning the shanks, do not peel away any silver skin — take everything but the bone.
A note on buying plantains — a cousin of the banana: choose ripe fruit that are turning black, because these will be sweeter. Or buy green fruit and ripen on the counter. Ripe plantains have more sugars and will caramelize better when fried.
Serves: 6 Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 3 hours
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Ingredients 1 to 2 tbsp. olive oil 1 medium onion, chopped 3 tbsp. tomato paste 3 cups game or beef stock ½ cup of peanut butter 1 tsp. smoked paprika 1 small serrano pepper, minced 1 pound of white or orange sweet potato 1 green bell pepper, seeds removed and diced Cayenne pepper, to taste 3 large ripe plantains Vegetable oil for frying Cooked white rice Venison 2 ½ to 3 pounds of deboned venison shank or neck 1 ½ tsp. kosher salt, plus extra 1 tsp. smoked paprika 3 cloves of garlic, minced 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce 2 tsp. fresh ginger, peeled and minced Freshly cracked pepper, to taste Pepper-Tomato Base 2 tbsp. olive oil 3 Roma tomatoes 2 cloves of garlic 2 inches of peeled ginger Small bunch of fresh parsley 1 small serrano pepper Half a large red bell pepper, seeds removed Directions Cut venison shank or neck into 1½-inch cubes. Place meat in a medium bowl and mix with 1½ teaspoons of kosher salt, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, 3 cloves of minced garlic, 2 teaspoons of minced ginger and freshly cracked pepper. Set aside. Quarter Roma tomatoes and remove the seeds. Quarter 2 inches of peeled ginger, 1 serrano pepper and half a large red bell pepper (seeds removed). Add into a food processor with 2 cloves of garlic, parsley leaves and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Pulse until smooth. Set pepper-tomato base aside. Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. In a large enameled Dutch oven, or other heavy oven-proof pot, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat. Brown marinated venison cubes in batches. Remove browned meat and set aside. Next, add chopped onion, blended pepper-tomato base, 3 tablespoons of tomato paste and a generous pinch of salt. Stir over medium heat until mixture thickens to concentrate flavors, about 7-10 minutes. Add more oil as needed. Next, add browned meat and juices back into the Dutch oven, along with 3 cups of stock. Bring to a simmer. Then stir in minced serrano to taste and peanut butter. Cover the pot and cook in a 325-degree oven for 1.5-2 hours – younger deer will cook faster. Check halfway through to stir. Add water as needed to make sure stew doesn’t get dry and bottom does not scorch. Peel and cut sweet potato(es) into large bite-size chunks. Add potato and diced green bell pepper to the stew, and cook an additional 30-40 minutes, or until potatoes and venison become tender. Season stew to taste with salt and cayenne pepper. Keep warm. Cut off both ends of each plantain and slice the skin along the length of the fruit. Peel off the skin and slice the flesh on the bias. Season lightly with salt and cayenne pepper. Heat 1/2 inch of oil in a skillet. Fry plantain slices until caramelized at the edges on both sides. Drain on paper towels. Serve stew with white rice and plantains on the side.
