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Herbal Bone Broth

Also known as Herbal Bone Broth (Nigerian Seven-Spice Broth)

The Nigerian Seven-Spice Herbal Bone Broth is the most comprehensive and therapeutically powerful preparation in this entire health chapter — a long-simmered bone broth using a combination of seven Nigerian therapeutic spices alongside the collagen-rich bones of either cow, goat or chicken to create a broth of extraordinary nutritional density and medicinal potency. The seven therapeutic spices — uziza seeds, ehuru, selim pepper (uda), Cameroon pepper, ginger, cloves and scen

Herbal Bone Broth, Nigerian cooking

Ingredients

  • A big quantity of mixed bones — cow leg sections, chicken carcasses, goat neck bones — whatever is available
  • Lemon juice and salt for cleaning the bones THE SEVEN THERAPEUTIC SPICES:
  • 2 big tablespoons of ground uziza seeds
  • 1 tablespoon of ground ehuru (calabash nutmeg)
  • 1 tablespoon of ground selim pepper (uda)
  • 1 tablespoon of ground Cameroon pepper
  • A very big piece of fresh ginger, sliced
  • 1 tablespoon of whole cloves
  • A generous handful of fresh scent leaves (added at the very end) THE ADDITIONAL BASE:
  • 2 big onions, roughly chopped
  • 3 big handfuls of ground dried crayfish
  • 3 seasoning cubes (Knorr), crushed
  • Salt to taste
  • 10 glasses of water
  • Juice of 1 lemon — added at the end to brighten and enhance mineral absorption

Method

  1. 01

    Cleaning and Blanching the Bones. Clean all bones with lemon juice and salt. Blanch in a large pot of boiling water for 10 minutes. Drain and rinse thoroughly with cold water. Blanching removes impurities and ensures a clean, clear final broth.

  2. 02

    Long Slow Simmering — The Foundation. Place all blanched bones in the largest available pot. Add 10 glasses of cold fresh water. Add all seven therapeutic spices except the scent leaves — uziza seeds, ehuru, selim pepper, Cameroon pepper, fresh ginger and whole cloves. Add roughly chopped onions and ground crayfish. Bring to a vigorous boil over high heat. Skim foam continuously for the first 15 minutes.

  3. 03

    Reducing to Therapeutic Simmer. Once all foam has been skimmed, reduce the heat to the very lowest possible simmer — the broth should barely move, with only the occasional bubble breaking the surface. Cover partially. Simmer for 2.5 to 3 hours minimum. The longer the simmer, the more therapeutic compounds are extracted from both the bones and the spices.

  4. 04

    Building the Therapeutic Broth. As the broth simmers, the collagen from the bones dissolves into the liquid, the spice compounds are extracted into solution and the minerals from the bones leach into the water. After 2.5 hours, the broth should be golden, slightly cloudy and have a noticeable gelatinous quality even when warm.

  5. 05

    Final Seasoning and Straining. Add seasoning cubes and salt. Taste — the broth should be deeply complex, warming from the seven spices and profoundly satisfying. Strain through a fine sieve or muslin cloth to produce a clear, golden broth. Discard or eat the soft bone meat.

  6. 06

    Adding the Scent Leaves and Lemon. Add torn scent leaves to the strained hot broth. Squeeze in the juice of 1 lemon. The lemon juice enhances mineral absorption and brightens the overall flavour. Stir and serve.

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