Nigerian Peanut Stew

Name: Nigerian Peanut Stew
Ingredients: 1 cup (5 1/2 ounces; 160g) ounces raw shelled red- skin peanuts; 5 teaspoons (15g) Diamond Crystal kosher salt, divided; for table salt use half as much by volume; 7 cups (1.65L) homemade chicken stock or store-bought low-sodium chicken broth, divided; 2 medium red onions (1 pound; 453g); 1 onion roughly chopped, 1/2 onion cut into ½-inch pieces, and the remaining 1/2 onion halved and thinly sliced, divided; 1 medium red bell pepper (175g), chopped; 2 medium plum tomatoes (8 ounces; 225g), chopped; 1 Scotch bonnet or habanero pepper, stemmed and cut in half (optional); One 4-inch piece fresh ginger (about 2 ounces; 60g) , peeled and grated; 4 medium cloves garlic, minced; 1 tablespoon dried thyme; 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; 5 tablespoons (75ml) peanut oil, divided; 1 pound (about 450g) boneless,skinless chicken thighs, cut into 2-inch pieces; 1 pound (about 450g) boneless beef chuck, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces; 2 leaf bay leaves; ½ to 1 teaspoon Nigerian dry red pepper flakes (optional); 2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into coins or chunks (about 1 cup); 1 pound baby bok choy, leaves pulled apart and rinsed; Plain rice, or Dodo (fried Nigerian plantains), or flatbreads