Afang Soup

Ingredients

• 3 big handfuls of fresh afang leaves (Gnetum africanum), very finely shredded or blended
• 5 big handfuls of fresh waterleaf (Talinum triangulare), washed and chopped
• Half a medium goat, cut into pieces
• 2 big handfuls of assorted beef (tripe, ponmo, shaki)
• 2 big handfuls of stockfish (okporoko), soaked and broken up
• 2 big handfuls of smoked catfish, soaked and deboned
• 1 big handful of fresh periwinkles (isam), cleaned
• 1 big handful of fresh prawns or dried crayfish prawns
• 3 cooking spoons of red palm oil
• 4 big handfuls of ground dried crayfish
• 4 to 5 Atarodo (hot chilli peppers), blended
• 1 big onion, sliced
• 3 seasoning cubes (Knorr), crushed
• Salt to taste
• 1 tablespoon of ogiri okpei (fermented castor seed) — optional but traditional

Method

1. 01

   Shredding the Afang Leaves. This is the most critical preparation step. Afang leaves are very tough and must be extremely finely shredded — into strips as thin as possible, almost thread-like. Use a very sharp knife and take your time. Alternatively, pulse briefly in a blender — but do not over-blend into a paste. The leaf must retain texture. Improperly shredded afang leaves will remain tough and unpleasant in the soup. Set aside.

2. 02

   Preparing the Waterleaf. Wash the waterleaf thoroughly in several changes of cold water. Squeeze out most of the water with your hands — waterleaf has an extremely high water content and will release a significant amount of liquid during cooking. Roughly chop and set aside.

3. 03

   Cooking All the Proteins. Season all the goat meat and assorted beef with salt, 1 seasoning cube, sliced onion and a pinch of thyme. Cook in enough water to cover for 35 to 40 minutes until all the meat is tender. Add the stockfish for the last 15 minutes. Remove everything and set aside, reserving the rich cooking stock.

4. 04

   Cleaning the Periwinkles. If using fresh periwinkles, wash thoroughly in cold salted water, scrubbing the shells. Boil in water for 5 minutes, drain and set aside.

5. 05

   Building the Soup Base. Heat 3 cooking spoons of palm oil in a very large, wide pot over medium heat. Add the ogiri okpei if using and fry for 1 minute. Add the blended Atarodo and fry for 8 minutes, stirring frequently, until cooked through. Add all the cooked meat and stockfish. Add the smoked catfish, periwinkles and prawns. Pour in the reserved meat stock. Add the ground crayfish, remaining seasoning cubes and salt. Stir everything together and bring to a steady simmer. Cook for 10 minutes.

6. 06

   Adding the Waterleaf. Add the squeezed, chopped waterleaf to the pot. Stir through thoroughly. The waterleaf will release more water as it cooks — this is the liquid base of the soup. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

7. 07

   Adding the Afang Leaves. Add the very finely shredded afang leaves to the pot. Stir through vigorously, distributing the afang throughout the entire soup. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes on medium heat, stirring every few minutes. The afang leaf is tough and requires longer cooking than most Nigerian leafy greens. Taste and adjust salt, seasoning and pepper. The finished soup should be thick with leaves, brilliantly flavoured and deeply aromatic. Serve hot.

More soups & broths

• Egusi Soup90 min
• Efo Riro75 min
• Gbegiri60 min
• Ewedu Soup25 min
• Ogbono Soup60 min
• Obe Ata60 min