Moi Moi

Ingredients

• 400g dried black-eyed beans
• 2 red bell peppers, deseeded
• 1 medium onion
• 2 scotch bonnet peppers
• 700ml warm light stock or water
• 200ml vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp bouillon powder
• 1 tbsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp ground white pepper
• 3 tbsp ground dried crayfish
• 150g smoked mackerel, flaked
• 3 eggs

Before you cook

• Soak the beans in cold water for 15 minutes, then pulse them briefly in a blender to crack the skins.
• Rub the beans between your palms under running water until the skins float away, and repeat until they are almost all gone.
• Soak the peeled beans in fresh cold water for 1 hour, then drain them.
• Deseed the red bell peppers.
• Flake the smoked mackerel into six pieces.
• Brush six 200ml ramekins with oil.

Steps

1. Bring a small pan of water to the boil and lower in the eggs.
2. Boil the eggs for 9 minutes, then cool them under cold water, peel them and cut them in half.
3. Tip the drained beans into a blender with the red peppers, onion, scotch bonnets and 500ml of the warm stock.
4. Blend for 4 minutes, until a smear rubbed between your fingers feels completely smooth.
5. Pour the batter into a large bowl and stir in the oil in a steady stream.
6. Mix the salt, bouillon powder, paprika, white pepper and crayfish into the remaining 200ml of stock.
7. Stir that seasoned liquid into the batter, which should now pour like double cream.
8. Divide the batter between the oiled ramekins, filling each one three quarters full.
9. Push half an egg and a piece of smoked mackerel into each ramekin.
10. Set a steamer rack in a wide pot and pour in 3cm of water.
11. Stand the ramekins on the rack, cover the pot, and steam over medium heat for 50 minutes.
12. Check the water level after 25 minutes and top it up with boiling water if it has dropped.
13. Push a skewer into the centre of one pudding; it should come out clean and the top should feel springy.
14. Rest the moi moi for 10 minutes before turning it out.