Smoked Catfish Soup

Ingredients

• 2 big pieces of smoked catfish (eja aran), soaked in warm water for 20 minutes and carefully deboned
• 1 big handful of stockfish, soaked and shredded
• 3 big ripe tomatoes, blended
• 2 Tatashe (red bell peppers), blended
• 3 Atarodo (hot chilli peppers), blended
• 1 big onion, sliced
• 3 cooking spoons of palm oil
• 3 big handfuls of ground dried crayfish
• 3 seasoning cubes (Knorr), crushed
• Salt to taste
• 3 big handfuls of fresh spinach or ugwu leaves, chopped — optional

Method

1. 01

   Preparing the Smoked Catfish. Place the whole smoked catfish in a bowl of warm water. Soak for 20 minutes to soften and remove excess salt. Carefully peel away the skin. Remove all bones — smoked catfish has many small bones; be thorough. Break the flesh into large pieces and set aside.

2. 02

   Frying the Pepper Base. Heat 3 cooking spoons of palm oil in a wide pot over medium heat. Add sliced onion and fry 2 minutes. Add blended tomatoes, Tatashe and Atarodo. Fry for 20 minutes, stirring regularly, until deeply cooked and oil floats on top.

3. 03

   Building the Soup. Add the smoked catfish pieces and shredded stockfish. Add ground crayfish, crushed seasoning cubes and salt. Add 2 glasses of water. Stir gently. Bring to a simmer.

4. 04

   Simmering. Cook on medium-low heat for 15 minutes, stirring gently every 5 minutes. The smoked catfish will further infuse the soup with its remarkable depth of flavour. If adding vegetables, add in the final 5 minutes. Taste and adjust all seasonings.

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