Yassa African Restaurant's maafe, a rich stew that's the 'best use of peanut butter since PB&J'

Kiné Gueye spent a lot of time at her parents’ business growing up, heading straight to Yassa African Restaurant on the South Side after school.

“It was like my second home. Really it was my first home because at home I think the only thing I ever did was sleep,” Gueye said.

The then-teenager would do minor tasks around the restaurant, such as rolling silverware, but she loved hosting, welcoming guests and showing them to their tables.

Now 37, she’s a manager at the restaurant and eventually will be taking over from her parents, Madieye and Awa Gueye, who opened Yassa 20 years ago in Chatham.

After a fire destroyed the initial location, in 2015 the family started over in Bronzeville, where customers come in search of Senegalese dishes like the namesake Yassa: chicken, lamb or fish grilled and marinated with citrus, cayenne pepper, black pepper and some "chef secrets" served with onion sauce. The bestseller is maafe, Madieye said. It’s a dish that can be found all over West Africa, and it’s a communal dish enjoyed with a large group.

“You put all the families together, you put a big pan [out], put the white rice, and put the sauce on top of it, and then we all eat together,” Madieye said.

"It's the best use of peanut butter since PB&J," he said.

Maafe is one of Kiné’s favorite dishes and the comforting peanut butter stew reminds her of Senegal, where she was born, she said.

“Growing up, when I was little, my mom used to make it for me. My brother, this is his favorite dish. We have maafe all the time because it's a dish that people really enjoy."

The traditional side is white rice, but the restaurant also offers the savory stew with sides like jollof, a popular West African rice dish, or fufu, a plantain batter that's stirred until thick on the stovetop, pounded until it’s smooth and fluffy and shaped into a cloud.

At Yassa, maafe is made fresh every other day, cooked low and slow. It starts with bone-in lamb pieces, along with large chunks of carrots, potatoes and yuca that’s boiled for at least a couple of hours. About halfway through, peanut butter and tomato paste are stirred in, transforming the stew into a rich brown-red. A blend of seasonings including green bell peppers, garlic, onions and scallions (plus "a few secret touches") are also added. It then simmers until the lamb and vegetables are tender, the flavors have developed, and the stew is velvety.

The recipe is based on Awa’s version (“with some special modifications,” Kiné said) and was one of the many dishes the matriarch would make for friends and family.

Awa loved to cook, and friends would ask her after enjoying her food, “Why don’t you open a restaurant?” In 2004, that’s what Awa and Madieye did.

The fire was devastating, but Madieye looks back on the incident positively.

“That was unfortunate, but sometimes everything happens for a reason. If it wasn't for that fire, maybe Yassa wouldn't be what it is today, because Bronzeville made a big difference in Yassa,” he said, noting the neighborhood's historical significance, diversity and vibrancy.

Madieye came to the U.S. in 1987 from Senegal in pursuit of “the American dream,” with his family following afterward. He drove a taxi for more than 10 years before the family moved to North Carolina, then finally settled in Chicago.

“As a young girl, seeing my parents build this thing from scratch, it's always been a dream for me and my siblings to take part in the family business and know that we want this to be a legacy,” Kiné said, adding she has set her sights on more locations.

“We want Yassa Two. We want Yassa Three. We want Yassa in different cities, like, why not New York? Why not L.A.? Because, you know, the sky is the limit. We want to show everyone that whatever you opt for in life you can achieve. You just have to believe, and you have to act on it.”

She's also working on adding new weekend specials like poulet roti (roasted chicken) and okra stew, plus adding lunch deals to bring more customers in.

And she’s not the only one looking to step up in the family business. Her 5-year-old son is already getting involved, asking customers what they’d like to order when they come in.

“I see the entrepreneur in him already,” she said.