Egusi Soup

Instructions

1. 1 Season the beef chunks with salt and one bouillon cube. Place in a pot with one diced onion and two cups of water. Bring to a boil, then simmer for forty-five minutes until the beef is tender. Reserve the broth and set the cooked beef aside.
2. 2 Mix the ground egusi seeds with a small amount of water to form a thick paste. Some cooks prefer to fry the egusi paste first, while others add it directly to the soup. For best results, form it into small balls or leave as a paste for adding later.
3. 3 Heat the palm oil in a large pot over medium heat until it becomes clear and shimmering but not smoking. Add the remaining diced onion and cook for three minutes, then add the blended scotch bonnet peppers and cook for five more minutes.
4. 4 Add the egusi paste to the hot oil and fry, stirring constantly, for ten minutes. The egusi should absorb the oil and begin to look curdled and dry before you add any liquid. This frying step develops the nutty, rich flavour of the soup.
5. 5 Pour in the reserved beef broth, add the remaining bouillon cube and ground crayfish, then bring to a simmer. Add the cooked beef pieces and smoked dried fish. Cook for fifteen minutes, stirring occasionally, until the soup thickens to a stew-like consistency.
6. 6 Add the chopped spinach or bitter leaf during the last five minutes of cooking, stirring until the greens wilt into the soup but still retain their bright green colour. The soup should be thick and rich enough to cling to a piece of pounded yam.
7. 7 Taste and adjust seasoning with salt as needed. Serve the egusi soup hot in deep bowls alongside smooth, stretchy pounded yam or fufu. Diners pinch off pieces of the starch and use them to scoop up the thick, nutty, meaty soup.