This recipe lets you experience the taste of Calabar in your kitchen.
Edikaikong soup from Calabar is a beloved dish across Nigeria. Its blend of seafood, vegetables, and spices creates a delicacy that will tantalise your tastebuds.
Are you ready to bring this Calabar classic to your kitchen? Let’s get cooking!
- Beef ( Shaki, tendon, or brisket), cut into bite-sized pieces
- Stockfish, soaked and shredded
- Smoked prawns or crayfish, roughly blended
- Snails (optional)
- 1 smoked African catfish (optional)
Vegetables:
- Waterleaf, rinsed and roughly chopped
- Pumpkin leaves (ugwu), rinsed and roughly chopped
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 cup Cameroon pepper (or a blend of scotch bonnet and bell pepper to your desired spice level)
- Half cup palm oil
Seasonings:
- 2 seasoning cubes
- Salt to taste
- 1 tablespoon ground crayfish
- Wash and pre-cook the beef in a pot with some water, seasoning cubes, and onion until tender. Add the stockfish and cook for another 5 minutes. Set aside.
- Blend the Cameroon pepper (or your chosen blend) with a little water to a smooth paste. You can adjust the quantity to your preferred spice level.
- In a clean pot, heat the palm oil over medium heat. When hot, add the chopped onion and fry until softened and translucent.
- Add the blended pepper paste to the pot and fry for 5 minutes, stirring continuously to prevent burning.
- Pour in the pre-cooked beef and stockfish, along with the seasoning cubes and ground crayfish. Stir well and cook for about 2 minutes.
- If using water snails, rinse them thoroughly and add them to the pot at this stage. Cook for another 5 minutes.
- Add 2 cups of water or meat stock, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. This allows the flavours to meld beautifully.
- Add the waterleaf and pumpkin leaves, stirring gently to combine. Cover the pot and cook for another 5 minutes, or until the greens are wilted but still have a slight bite.
- If needed, adjust the seasoning with salt and additional seasoning cubes to your taste. Finally, stir in the smoked prawns or crayfish, and cook for another 2 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and your pot of delicious Edikang Ikong soup is ready! Serve hot with your favourite swallow, such as pounded yam, eba, semovita, or even rice.
- Feel free to use a combination of proteins like chicken, goat, or even offal (liver, gizzard) according to your preference.
- To add a deeper seafood flavour, use a small quantity of dried shrimp or prawns during the initial frying of the pepper paste.
- If waterleaf or pumpkin leaves are unavailable, you can substitute with spinach, kale, or even a mix of your favourite leafy greens.
- You can always add more pepper during the cooking process, but it’s harder to tone it down later. Start with a smaller amount and gradually increase to your desired heat level.