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02/24/2021 11:01 PMI was so thrilled with the roasted sweet potato pie I made last week, that I decided to use sweet potatoes again for a recipe I found in a magazine, almost two years old, I was about to toss.
This time the recipe called for chicken and sweet potatoes, with the addition of peanut butter and hot chiles. I had an appointment with my primary in the afternoon (after I had missed the appointment for a week ago, having found the appointment card stuck into another food magazine), so on my way to the new appointment, I picked up some Thai chiles and more cherry tomatoes. I had already thawed the chicken thighs.
This recipe is a true winner. The sweet potatoes, the tangy tomatoes, the hot peppers (feel free to seed them and discard the seeds), and the chicken made a terrific dinner, plus one lunch, and another dinner for one. I think you will love this.
Lee White of Old Lyme has been a food editor and restaurant reviewer for more than 25 years. You can email her at leeawhite@aol.com.
Crispy Peanut-Chile Chicken with Sweet Potatoes
From Fine Cooking, April-May 2019
Yield: serves 4
Ingredients:
½ cup peanut butter (smooth or chunky)
2 Thai bird chiles (it says to seed one, but maybe use one
and seed that, too)
5 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
4 cloves of garlic, minced
Kosher salt
8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
1 large onion, chopped
¼ cups coarsely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into ½ inch dice
(about 2 pounds)
7 ounces cherry tomatoes (about 1 cup)
2 ounces (½ cup) shelled roasted salted peanuts,
coarsely chopped
Directions:
Thoroughly combine peanut butter, chiles, 3 tablespoons lemon juice, 2 teaspoons of garlic, and ¾ teaspoon salt in a gallon-sized zip-top bag. Lightly sprinkle the chicken thighs with salt and add to the marinade. Refrigerate for 1 hour, massaging every 15 minutes.
Position rack in the center of the oven and heat to 375 degrees. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large ovenproof skillet, preferably cast iron, on medium heat until shimmering. Add onions, remaining garlic, 2 tablespoons cilantro, and ½ teaspoon salt and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until onion softens and garlic is fragrant, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in sweet potatoes. Cover pan and cook until sweet potatoes just start to soften, stirring once, about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat.
Remove lid from skillet and add tomatoes. Remove chicken from marinade and place smooth side up over the tomatoes, spooning marinade on top of each. Scatter peanuts over the chicken and transfer skillet to the oven. Cook until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees, about 30 minutes.
Heat broiler on high, then cook until top of chicken and peanuts turn light golden, 1 to 2 minutes, watching closely so it doesn’t burn.
Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before serving, sprinkle with remaining cilantro.