Nigerian Ogbono Draw Soup with Beef, Smoked Fish and Spinach

What you need

• 600 g (1 1/3 lb) stewing beef, cut into 3 cm (1 in) cubes
• 1 onion, medium, chopped
• 1 stock cube, beef or chicken, crumbled
• 1 tsp salt, plus more to taste
• 900 ml (3 3/4 cups) water
• 80 g (2/3 cup) ground ogbono seeds
• 120 ml (1/2 cup) palm oil
• 150 g (5 oz) smoked fish, dried or hot-smoked, skin and bones removed, in large chunks
• 3 tbsp ground dried crayfish
• 1 scotch bonnet, finely chopped, or to taste; habanero works
• 200 g (7 oz) spinach, roughly chopped

Method

Restated from the original video

1. 1

   Put the beef, half the onion, the stock cube and the salt in a large pot with the water. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer until the beef is tender, 40-50 min. About 700 ml (3 cups) of liquid should remain.

2. 2

   While the beef cooks, stir the ground ogbono and palm oil together in a bowl into a smooth, thick paste.

3. 3

   When the beef is tender, turn the heat to medium-low. Add the ogbono paste a spoonful at a time, stirring each addition until it dissolves, to avoid lumps.

4. 4

   Add the smoked fish, crayfish, scotch bonnet and the remaining onion.

5. 5

   Simmer uncovered, stirring often, until the soup is thick, glossy and stretchy when the spoon is lifted, 10-15 min. Add a splash of water if it gets too thick to stir.

6. 6

   Stir in the spinach and cook until wilted, 2 min. Taste and add salt if needed.

7. 7

   Serve hot with a starchy side for dipping and scooping.

Imported from cookingwithclaudy.com. Recipe Grab pulled out what you need to cook it; the video stays where its author put it.