Cassava Leaf Plasas

Ingredients

• 900g frozen pounded cassava leaves
• 500g beef chuck, cut into chunks
• 250g smoked fish or smoked turkey
• 150ml red palm oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 60g ground dried crayfish
• 4 tbsp smooth peanut butter
• 200g raw prawns, peeled
• 2 scotch bonnet peppers
• 2 stock cubes
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 800ml water
• 400g long-grain rice

Before you cook

• Thaw the cassava leaves and drain off the water.
• Cut the beef into 3cm chunks and chop the onion.
• Flake the smoked fish and pick out any bones.
• Peel the prawns.
• Whisk the peanut butter with 150ml of cold water until smooth.

Steps

1. Put the beef in a pot with half the onion, one stock cube, half a teaspoon of the salt and 800ml of water.
2. Bring it to the boil, cover, and simmer for 35 minutes until the beef is tender.
3. Lift the beef out and keep the stock.
4. Warm the palm oil in a wide pot over medium heat for 3 minutes.
5. Fry the remaining onion for 4 minutes until soft.
6. Stir in the crayfish and cook it for 1 minute, until it smells toasty.
7. Add the beef, the smoked fish and the loosened peanut butter.
8. Pour in 500ml of the reserved stock and stir until the sauce is smooth.
9. Tip in the drained cassava leaves and turn them through the oil.
10. Drop in the whole scotch bonnets and the second stock cube.
11. Simmer uncovered for 35 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until the leaves darken and the bitterness cooks away.
12. Add the prawns and cook for 4 minutes, until they turn pink and curl.
13. Season with the remaining salt.
14. Cook the rice in salted boiling water for 12 minutes, then drain it.
15. Spoon the plasas over the rice and serve.