This hearty and flavorful soup is native to Rivers State, Nigeria. The recipe combines catfish with various seafood and traditional Nigerian ingredients to create a rich and satisfying meal.
Recipe by: Destiny Alawa, founder of Lyma's Cuisine,
Lagos, Nigeria
About the Chef
Destiny Alawa is a kind and gentle soul with a passion for
cooking. A graduate of mass communication, she further honed her culinary
skills at a catering school. Known for her meticulous approach to cooking,
Destiny brings precision and care to every dish she prepares.
Ingredients:
- Catfish
- Sea
snails
- Prawns
- Stockfish
- Kpomo
(cow skin)
- Cocoyam
(for thickening)
- Uziza
leaves
- Yellow
pepper
- Onion
- Ground
crayfish
- Palm
oil
- Salt
- Maggi
seasoning cubes
- Fresh
pepper
- Water
Instructions:
- Clean
the catfish by washing it with salt and hot water.
- Season
the catfish with salt, fresh pepper, and Maggi seasoning. Allow it to boil
for 10 minutes.
- Add
the Stockfish and other proteins (sea snails, prawns, Kpomo) to the pot.
Let it boil for an additional 10 minutes.
- Remove
the catfish from the pot and set aside to prevent it from breaking apart.
- Add a
little water to the pot along with palm oil. Allow this mixture to boil
for 5 minutes.
- Add
cocoyam to the pot for thickening.
- Stir
in the Uziza leaves.
- Return
the previously removed catfish to the pot.
- Taste
and adjust seasoning with salt and Maggi if needed.
- Allow
the soup to boil for a final few minutes.
- Your
meal is now ready to serve!
Cooking Notes:
- The
Cocoyam acts as a thickening agent, giving the soup its characteristic
consistency.
- Uziza
leaves add a unique flavor profile to the soup, typical of Rivers State
cuisine.
- Be
careful not to overcook the catfish to maintain its texture.
- The
combination of yellow pepper and ground crayfish contributes to the soup's
deep, complex flavor.
Serving Suggestion:
This soup is traditionally served hot and can be enjoyed
with various Nigerian staples such as pounded yam, garri (eba), or rice.
Cultural Significance:
This soup is a proud representation of Rivers State culinary tradition. It showcases the rich seafood available in the region and the skillful use of local ingredients like uziza leaves and cocoyam.
