Delicious Calabar white soup

Afia Efere, also known as Calabar white soup, is so named due to the peculiar white colour of the soup. The colour is due to the thickener use (pounded yam) and the absence of palm oil which is prevalent in Nigerian Soups. The beauty of this soup is in its simplicity; on the simplest level, efere is an earthy broth usually made from goat meat or fresh fish and seasoned with Uyayak pod (aidan fruit ) and crayfish powder. Efere is also very similar to Ofe Nsala from Eastern Nigeria.
However, Nsala contains Utazi and ogiri and doesn’t contain Uda or Uyayak.
Whatever your tribe or origin, this soup is a delicious delicacy that should be on every woman’s meal plan. it’s simple and pairs excellently well with pounded yam.

Almost 60 years, friends still live together, operate joint account, business

Ingredients

-1 small to medium goat meat, smoked fish or stewing chicken cut into stew sizes

-1 Uyayak Pod (Aidan fruit) 1 inch

– Utazi leaf

-3 tbsps. dry pepper

-3 tbsps dry grounded crayfish

-1 large dry fish (washed and soaked)

-4 pieces of boiled yam pieces mashed with a mortar and set. • To make pounded yam paste – boil 200g of yam in some water until yam is very soft. Remove yam pieces from water and place in a mortal or food processor. Process until a smooth paste forms. (substitute 1/2 cup yam powder)

-If using yam powder, combine with enough water to form a smooth paste

-1 bouillon

-2 cubes Maggi

-salt to taste

-1 scotch bonnet pepper (hot pepper – ata Rodo) (optional)

How to prepare

1. Break the Uyayak pod into two and grind half into fine powder then pour in some water. Pour the mix through a finemesh sieve and set aside.
2. In a large pot – combine goat meat, chicken, pepper, blended crayfish, salt, maggi, uyayak, and smoked fish. Add enough water to just cover the ingredients. Let the meat cook in its own juices. Stir to combine. Set on high heat and bring to a rolling boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and leave to simmer for 25 – 30 minutes.
3. Once the stock starts to dry up, pour some water to the level of the meat and check for seasonings. Once the meat is tender, pour in the sieved liquid from the Uyayak pod into the meat stock and drop the other half into the pot. Add in the dry fish and the yam mash and stir to combine.
4. Cover and cook for another 5 minutes. Once the soup thickens to your desire, add the remaining dry pepper and grounded crayfish, stir and set aside.
5. Remove and discard Uyayak to serve. Enjoy with pounded yam or Eba.