Native Soup

Prep your ingredients i.e. put the cocoyam to boil (leave the skin on) till it can be pierced through easily with a fork. Cut the fish into 3 or 4 pieces, clean the seafood and set aside. Chop the red onion and roughly blend 2 – 3 pieces of fresh ata rodo (scotch bonnet/habanero pepper). Roughly blend the crayfish.

Heat up the palm oil and sauté the chopped onion.

Lower the heat, then you add the fish and let it fry slightly. Add fresh pepper, and sprinkle in Knorr cubes and add a little more water, just about enough to cook the fish, cover the pan and let it cook.

To keep the fish intact, carefully take it out and then add the medley of seafood. Leave to cook until the prawns and shrimp turn a lovely shade of pink, and the mussels and clams have opened. This is a sign that they have cooked.

Again, like the fish take it out to prevent over cooking.

The cocoyam’s should have completely cooked by now, peel the skin off and pound to a smooth paste.

Add it to the fish stock in lumps, which will dissolve completely into the stock to thicken it. Then add the crayfish, stir and taste for salt and seasoning

Re-introduce the cooked fish and seafood, shake the pot in a circular motion a few times to redistribute.

Finish off by adding freshly chopped scent leaf. You can also use bitter leaf, Utazi or Uziza.