How make Banga soup Delta style (Amiedi)

Ingredients:

1500grams Palm fruit Extract

1 Medium size Catfish or any preferred fresh fish

Assorted Meats of your choice

2-3 Medium Pieces Stockfish Okporoko)

1-2 Medium Dried Fish ( I’m using catfish)

1/2 Cup Fresh or Smoked Shrimps (Optional)

1 Tablespoon Ground Dried Crayfish or prawns ( Prawns preferably)

1-2 Tablespoons Banga Spice

1-2 Tablespoons Dried/washed bitter leaves

2 fresh pepper

1 Medium onion chopped

2 Tablespoons dried pepper

2 Knorr cubes.

Salt to taste

Preparation:

Gut, clean and wash your fish thoroughly, especially if you’re using Catfish as it can be quite slimy. Wash Catfish with salt to remove the slime, alternatively, you can freeze it for a day, leave to thaw and just rinse with water.
Boil your meats first, if you’re using any. I’m using smoked turkey. Remember to start with the tougher meats, then add the softer ones as you go, I’m boiling this with chopped onions, Knorr chicken cube, salt and a teaspoon of chicken stock seasoning, I’ll be boiling this till tender, not soft, just tender…You can do the same with your tougher meats.
When it’s tender, add the dried stockfish and the blended fresh pepper, continue to boil till the stockfish is tender and the meats
Then, add the smoked fish, switch off the heat and simmer with the residual heat for 2-3 minutes…
Now, transfer your palm nut extract into a big pot. If you’re using the tinned extract, it comes really thick, dilute with hot water, the water should be almost double the quantity of the extract. I’ll be using the stock from the meats as well, so, I’m including the quantity of the stock as part of the water I’m diluting the extract with. When you’ve added the water and stock, place on a hob on medium heat, mix thoroughly to break up clumps. Do not cover the pot from now till the end of the cooking process.
Let this boil for 10-12 minutes…
Then add the Banga Spice, ground crayfish or prawns, dried pepper, knorr cube and salt to taste. You may not need too much salt if your stock is well seasoned so be mindful. Be really careful when adding Banga spice, start with a tablespoon thereabouts and add more intermittently if needed, too much will make your Banga soup really bitter and that would be irreversible if that’s the case. Leave to cook for 5 minutes, at this time, the soup would have thickened up a bit.
Now, add the Catfish or your preferred fresh fish and fresh shrimps, (now is a good time to add periwinkles if you’re using any), turn the heat down to low, leave to cook for 7-10 minutes, at this time, palm oil would have settled on the top. Decant some of the palm oil if you find it too oily
Now, add the dried/washed bitter leaves, stir and combine…cook for 2 minutes, then switch off the heat.