Calabar Delicacy: How to make the perfect pot of Edikang Ikong soup

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!

Ingredients

Proteins:

• 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

Preparation

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. In a clean pot, heat the palm oil over medium heat. When hot, add the chopped onion and fry until softened and translucent.
4. Add the blended pepper paste to the pot and fry for 5 minutes, stirring continuously to prevent burning.
5. Pour in the pre-cooked beef and stockfish, along with the seasoning cubes and ground crayfish. Stir well and cook for about 2 minutes.
6. If using water snails, rinse them thoroughly and add them to the pot at this stage. Cook for another 5 minutes.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. 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.

Tips and variations

• 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.

Enjoy your homemade Edikang Ikong soup!

This content was created with the help of an AI model and verified by the writer.