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Igbin

Also known as Igbin (Snail Stew — Premium Nigerian Style)

Snail Stew — Obe Igbin — is a luxury Nigerian protein dish made from giant African land snails (Achatina achatina) cleaned, boiled and then cooked in a richly spiced Nigerian pepper sauce. The snail meat has a distinctive firm, slightly chewy texture and a clean, mild, faintly sweet flavour that absorbs the bold Nigerian seasonings beautifully.

Igbin, Nigerian cooking

Ingredients

  • a big piece of fresh or frozen giant African land snails (Achatina achatina), cleaned
  • 1 tablespoon of alum (potash / akanwu) for cleaning
  • Lemon juice and salt for cleaning
  • 1 big onion — half for boiling, half for sauce
  • 1 teaspoon of thyme
  • 2 seasoning cubes (Knorr), crushed
  • Salt to taste FOR THE STEW:
  • 4 big ripe tomatoes, blended
  • 3 Tatashe (red bell peppers), blended
  • 4 Atarodo (hot chilli peppers), blended
  • 3 cooking spoons of vegetable oil
  • 2 big handfuls of ground crayfish
  • Salt and seasoning to taste

Method

  1. 01

    Cleaning the Snails. Place snails in a large bowl. Add a tablespoon of alum (potash) and a generous amount of salt. Rub each snail vigorously — they will release a large amount of slime. Pour off the slimy water and repeat 3 to 4 times until the snails are completely slime-free and the water runs clear. Rinse with the juice of 1 lemon. Rinse thoroughly with clean water.

  2. 02

    Boiling. Place the cleaned snails (in shells if applicable) in a pot with sliced onion, thyme, 1 seasoning cube and salt. Cover with water. Boil for 20 to 25 minutes until the snail meat is tender when pierced with a skewer. Remove from shells using a fork. Trim away and discard the dark digestive gland at the end of each snail. Cut the snail meat into pieces or leave whole.

  3. 03

    Making the Pepper Stew. Heat oil in a wide pan. Fry blended tomatoes, Tatashe and Atarodo for 20 to 25 minutes until deeply cooked and oil floats on top.

  4. 04

    Finishing. Add the boiled snail pieces to the stew. Add ground crayfish, remaining seasoning cube and salt. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes until the snails are well-coated and the sauce is thick. Taste and adjust.

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