Caldo de Mancarra: Peanuts Crushed, Strained and Returned to the Chicken Pot
The center of this dish is a broth made from crushed peanuts and tomato. It goes into the pot in two parts: first the strained liquid, then the thicker paste. The finish is lemon juice added off the heat.
Peanuts are crushed fine and worked together with chopped tomatoes into a paste. A little hot water loosens it, and the mixture goes through a sieve. The smooth liquid that runs through is set aside for the chicken. The thicker paste left behind waits for later. Chicken seasoned with salt and piripiri cooks with onion and garlic, then simmers in that reserved liquid. When the meat is partly cooked, the paste goes in, and the pot is stirred slowly over low heat until the broth turns thick and tan. Lemon juice goes in once the heat is off.
That is the shape of caldo de mancarra as given in a recipe credited to the Guinean writer Filomena Embaló. This article follows that version and shows how to make it in an ordinary home kitchen.
What Caldo de Mancarra Is
A 2018 tourist guide to Guinea-Bissau lists caldo de mancarra among the country's representative dishes. The guide describes it as a peanut broth made with either meat or fish. The same guide explains that mancarra means peanut. This article does not go further into the word's origin, because the sources do not establish it.
The guide also describes the wider cooking these dishes belong to. Lime or lemon, chili, palm oil and peanut broth come up often, and rice is served alongside sauces and stews. A bowl of caldo de mancarra with rice next to it fits that picture.
The version made here
There are both meat and fish versions of this dish. This article makes only the chicken version from the Embaló recipe published on MisosoAfrica. A Portuguese recipe publisher, Ruralea, also has a chicken caldo de mancarra. Its proportions and water method are different, so the two recipes are not mixed here. Ruralea's version is mentioned only for comparison and for its suggestion of serving white rice.
The original recipe calls for a whole chicken. It does not give the chicken's weight, the number of servings, or any cooking times. This article does not add those numbers either. Where the original is ambiguous, the ambiguity is pointed out rather than smoothed over.
This recipe has not been kitchen-tested by Sekai Gohan. That includes the following home adaptations:
- returning the strained solids to the pot;
- browning the chicken in its own fat;
- the choice of roasted, skinless peanuts;
- adjusting the stew with small amounts of the prepared water.
They are offered as a reasonable reading of the original recipe. They are not proven results.
Ingredients: One Whole Chicken and 250g of Peanuts
This recipe makes one chicken's worth of stew.
Equipment
- Mortar and pestle or a food processor, to crush the peanuts
- Fine-mesh sieve and two bowls, one for the strained liquid and one for the paste left behind
- Heavy pot
- Instant-read thermometer, to check the center of the chicken
- Separate cutting board and knife for raw chicken
Choosing and Substituting
Peanuts. This recipe uses unsalted, roasted, shelled and skinless peanuts. Unsalted peanuts leave the seasoning to you, and shelled ones save effort.
Peanut butter. You can use canned peanut butter instead of crushing peanuts. Choose an unsweetened peanut butter made from peanuts alone. There is no tested equivalent for the 250g of peanuts, and thickness and texture vary by product. The result will also be different from the crushed-peanut version.
Piripiri. The original gives no amount. If you cannot find piripiri, plain ground dried chili gives heat but not the same flavor. Add it sparingly and adjust.
Chicken. This recipe uses a skin-on, bone-in whole chicken cut into pieces. Its fat is used for browning, because the original lists no oil. The original does not say whether the skin or bones stay on. Do not swap in a different weight of boneless pieces and expect the same result.
Garlic. The original lists no amount. The method simply says to add it to taste.
This dish is built on peanuts and is not suitable for anyone with a peanut allergy. If you use peanut butter or other processed products, read the ingredient list and any cross-contact statements.
Method: Liquid First, Paste Later, Lemon Off the Heat
- Brown the chicken.
- Add the reserved strained liquid and simmer.
- When the chicken is partly cooked, add the paste and stir over low heat.
- Make sure the chicken is fully cooked.
- Turn off the heat, then add the lemon juice.
Each step below tells you what to look for instead of how long to wait.
Troubleshooting: Scorching, Thickness and Grit
| Problem | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| The bottom is catching | The paste settles and sticks once it is in | Keep the heat low and keep stirring. Loosen with a little of the prepared water |
| The stew is too thick | Not enough liquid for this chicken and pot | Add the prepared water a little at a time, rather than all at once |
| The chicken sticks during browning | Not much fat has rendered yet | Lower the heat slightly and add a small splash of the prepared water. Don't add oil |
| The sauce feels gritty | The peanuts weren't crushed finely enough | Crush the peanuts finer next time. Straining the thinned paste in step 3 is also what gives the liquid its smoothness |
| The chicken hasn't reached temperature | Thick pieces, or a tougher bird | Keep cooking over low heat, stirring, until the center reaches 75°C for at least 1 minute |
The cooking time depends on the chicken. Ruralea's editors note that chickens in Guinea-Bissau are tougher than commercial birds and take longer to cook. That is one more reason to judge doneness with a thermometer rather than a clock.
Leftovers
Divide any leftovers into clean, shallow containers and cool them quickly. When you reheat, heat them thoroughly. This is general home food-safety guidance, not a storage period specific to this dish. No storage period is given here.
Variations
These are options around the main recipe. They are not part of it.
- Different chicken parts. The original uses a whole chicken. Using only certain parts changes the weight and how the chicken cooks. Neither has been tested here.
- Fish. The Guinea-Bissau tourist guide describes the dish as made with meat or fish. The fish method, amounts and timing can't be taken from this chicken recipe.
- Peanut butter. The original allows it. Choosing an unsweetened, peanuts-only product is editorial advice. There is no tested amount to replace the 250g of peanuts, and the texture changes.
- Less heat. Reduce the chili to suit your table. Other ground chilies won't taste like piripiri.
- With rice. Serving rice alongside follows the tourist guide's description of how sauces and stews are eaten in Guinea-Bissau.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does "mancarra" mean?
The Guinea-Bissau tourist guide explains mancarra as peanut. The sources here do not establish the word's history.
Can I make it with peanut butter?
Yes. The original recipe allows canned peanut butter. Use an unsweetened peanut butter made from peanuts alone. The original gives no amount for peanut butter, so add it gradually and judge the thickness. The texture will differ from crushed peanuts.
Is it only made with chicken?
No. The tourist guide describes caldo de mancarra as made with meat or fish. This recipe is the chicken version. Don't adapt it for fish by guessing amounts or times.
What should I serve with it?
Rice. The tourist guide describes rice served alongside sauces and stews in Guinea-Bissau. Ruralea also suggests white rice.
How long should it simmer?
The original recipe gives no cooking times. The time depends on the size of the chicken and the pot. Cook until the center of the thickest piece reaches 75°C, and keep it there for at least 1 minute.
Sources
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MisosoAfrica, "Caldo de Mancarra – Guinea Bissau" (recipe credited to Guinean writer Filomena Embaló), 2012. The basis for the ingredient list (1 chicken, 1 large onion, 1 lemon, 250g peanuts, 3 tomatoes, 1L water, salt, piripiri, garlic to taste). Also the basis for the order of steps (brown the chicken, add the reserved strained liquid, add the paste when the chicken is partly cooked, stir over low heat, add lemon juice off the heat) and for allowing canned peanut butter. It gives no chicken weight, servings or cooking times. https://misosoafrica.wordpress.com/2012/05/08/caldo-de-mancarra-guinea-bissau/
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Guinea-Bissau tourist guide (EU/ACL project, 2018), "Gastronomía" section, PDF distributed by Consulmar Bissau. Describes caldo de mancarra as a representative peanut broth made with meat or fish, and explains mancarra as peanut. Also notes common use of lime/lemon, chili, palm oil and peanut broth, and rice served with sauces and stews. https://www.consulmarbissau.com/sites/default/files/files/guia_turistica_guinea-bissau_ue_acl2018_es_web.pdf
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Ruralea, "Caldo de mancarra." A separate chicken version used only for comparison of ingredient families. Also the source for serving with white rice and for the editors' note that local chickens are tougher and take longer to cook. https://ruralea.com/caldo-de-mancarra/
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Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (Japan), "家庭での食中毒予防" (Preventing food poisoning at home). General home guidance on the following points:
- cooking food until the center reaches 75°C for at least 1 minute;
- preventing cross-contamination from raw meat juices;
- dividing leftovers into small portions, cooling them quickly and reheating thoroughly.
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/seisakunitsuite/bunya/kenkou_iryou/shokuhin/syokuchu/01_00008.html
