Recipe - Pea Chop

2 Chickens; 3lbs each, cut up
4 ounce Unsweetened coconut
One half cup Peeled & cut or sliced up yellow onion
One half tablespoon Dill weed
2 Whole bay leaves
One half cup Peanut butter
Cornstarch to thicken
Salt & fresh ground black
pepper to taste
5 Bananas (not too ripe);
peeled & halved lengthwise
Butter for frying bananas
Cooked longgrain rice
1 cn Unsweetened pineapple
chunks; chilled
4 ounce Unsweetened coconut
One half cup Dryroasted peanuts; chopped
fairly fine

This dish actually came from Africa, but then that's how we got our own
peanuts returned to us in the first place. John Clark, a dear man in
Batavia, Illinois, wanted to cook this for me and I was smart enough to
take him up on his offer. At the time he gave me this recipe he was dying
of cancer . . . and he cooked for me. Just a few days before his death I
finished the Peanut Show and sent him a copy of the tape. He was not
communicating much but he woke up when he heard that the tape had arrived.
He watched the whole show and then said, "That silly Jeff. He forgot to put
some more crushed peanuts on top." He died shortly thereafter.

You see, I have a very wonderful job, and I meet wonderful people. And
John, dear heart, I shall never forget to put some crushed peanuts on top,
I promise!

This dish is extraordinarily good. Though it sounds strange, I cannot
imagine anyone not liking this combination of chicken and peanut sauce.

Panbrown the chicken, skin on. While the chicken is browning, toast the
coconut on a cookie sheet in a 375ø oven. Watch it carefully. You want it
just barely light golden brown, and it will take little time.

Place the browned chicken in a 4 to 6quart pot and add the onions, dill
and bay leaves. Add enough water to not quite cover. Bring to a boil and
then turn down to a simmer and cover and cook for 45 minutes. Remove the
chicken from the pot and set aside. You may wish to remove the skin and
discard.

Add One half cup of the stock to the peanut butter and mix well. Pour this
peanut sauce into the stock and thicken the stock with cornstarch dissolved
in water. Start with about 3 tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in One half cup
water. Stir into the stock in a quick fashion and stir over heat until
thick. If this is not thick enough for you, add more cornstarch and water.
Then, add salt and pepper to taste. Return the chicken to the pot

Fry the bananas in a bit of butter just until they are browned. This will
take little time.

This dish is traditionally served buffet style. The guests put rice on
their plates, then chicken and gravy on top. The fried bananas and
pineapple are next, with the coconut and chopped peanuts providing the
topping.

John claimed that it was traditional to fill your plate 3 times. By this
time I expect that he has the Holy Spirit enjoying this dish!

John served nothing more with this meal. It stands complete.

From The Frugal Gourmet Cooks American. Downloaded from Glen's MM Recipe
Archive, http://www.erols.com/hosey.