![]() ![]() West African okro soups typically contain both ground and fresh seafood – hardly surprising given they are most prominent in coastal regions. I once handled three sittings in one day, and got home feeling like I was carrying a baby. The story got around and, when I visit relatives in Lagos nowadays, they always prepare it for my arrival. So well that I once claimed: “If London were made of eba I would eat the whole city!” A quote I live by to this day. It has a distinctive flavour and coarse texture, and offsets the slippery okro soup well. For those who don’t know, eba is a dough made up from hot water and garri, which is mashed, fermented and toasted cassava root. The two were only bound in the hand of the diner, on his or her terms, and delivered into the mouth in matrimony, ideally with eba, my personal favourite of all the possible accompaniments. If okra were a person, she’d have a big mouth and a great story to tell The former was made with a base of onions, garlic, ginger, peppers and assorted meat that was smoothed with palm oil, while the latter was boiled vigorously with water and a little salt. The way I knew it growing up in London, two soups – tomato and okro – were prepared separately, then eaten together. ![]() Okro soup varies from region to region in Nigeria, in terms of ingredients, consistency and partnering staples. If okro were a person, she’d have a big mouth and a great story to tell. Synchronised steps such as these, taken in tandem by people and food, fascinate me these days. Lady’s fingers have long been a favourite in West African cuisine, and its migration across the globe appears to have followed the movement of the region’s people wherever they have gone. It goes by the name of bhindi in the east, and gumbo in the American south – a word supposedly borrowed from the Angolan noun quingombó (meaning, literally, ‘okra’) in the west where, not unlike the aforementioned soup on which I grew up, seafood and okro are combined with the holy trinity of onion, celery and bell pepper. Divide among bowls, garnish with parsley, if desired, and serve.With time, I’ve come to realise that Nigerians aren’t the only ones who love okro, and that people are raised on “lady’s fingers” all over the world. Add the okra and continue cooking until the okra is just tender, about 25 minutes.ĭiscard the bay leaves, and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Let cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is just tender, about one hour. When the soup simmers gently, uncover and reduce the heat to low. Cook, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan and adding a teaspoon of water or oil if the pan becomes dry, until the onion softens, about six minutes you don’t want the onion to char.Īdd the water and tomatoes, return the beef and marrowbone to the pan, and cover. Add the onion, bay leaves, red pepper flakes, paprika, and one and one-quarter teaspoons salt. With a slotted spoon, transfer the browned beef and bone to a bowl and turn the heat to medium. ![]() Pour the oil into a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat, and when the oil shimmers, brown the beef and marrowbone in batches, if necessary, taking care not to crowd the pan and adding oil by teaspoonfuls if the pan becomes too dry. Put in a shallow dish, covered, and bring to room temperature, about one hour. Season the beef and marrowbone with three-quarters teaspoon salt and half a teaspoon black pepper. ![]()
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