The free range chicken or road runner is one of Zimbabwe traditional and popular dishes. A Zimbabwean friend tipped me about this delicious delicacy. I must admit I was a bit sceptical at the beginning. Now I have a bit of a red cheek from the embarrassment I felt when this turned out to be one of the best tasting sauce I had ever tasted!
What’s more, it is a very easy to make recipe and the ingredients are universally available! Serve your road runner chicken in peanut butter sauce with Sadza, rice or even fufu! Yummy!
Ingredients
- 1 kg free range chicken (road runner) African hard chicken**
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
- 1 small pepper, chopped
- 4 tablespoons cooking oil
- 2 chicken-flavoured Maggi cube
- Salt to taste
- 2 tbsp. smooth peanut butter (250 g)
- Water
Instructions
- Cut your chicken and put it in the pot.
- Add water and salt and Maggi cubes
- Close pot, bring to the boil then reduce heat to a gentle simmer for about 40 minutes.**
- While the chicken is boiling, chop the onion, tomatoes and the optional pepper.
- Once the chicken is tender, drain the stock (chicken water) and keep it apart.
- Add 4 tablespoons of cooking oil and fry the chicken until it has a lovely golden brown colour.
- When the chicken is cooked, set it aside in a bowl. Using the same pot, sauté the onions for about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, pepper and let it simmer for about 3 minutes. Stirring occasionally.
- Add the peanut butter, stir until it’s incorporated into the tomato and onion mixture. Add the stock (chicken water). If necessary add some more water to make the soup/sauce a consistency that you’re satisfied with.
- Let it simmer for in low heat for 10 minutes
- Add the fried road runner (chicken) to the pot.
- Stir gently until the chicken pieces are coated in the peanut butter sauce. Close pot and allow to simmer on very low heat for 10 min, giving time for the flavour of the sauce to sip into the meat. Stir occasionally during this time to avoid it burning underneath.
- Voila! You delicious dish is ready to be enjoyed! Serve with Sadza, rice or fufu! accordingly. Enjoy your meal!
** PS If you are using the non-African soft chicken, just cook until it is tender (mostly 20 minutes will do!)