Fufu with Ogbono Soup

Ingredients

• 500g stewing beef, cut into chunks
• 150g beef tripe or cow skin (kpomo), cleaned and sliced (optional)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 beef or chicken stock cubes
• 1 scotch bonnet pepper
• 100g ground ogbono seeds
• 150ml red palm oil
• 2 pieces dried fish, cleaned and deboned
• 100g smoked fish, flaked
• 2 tbsp ground crayfish
• 2 cups chopped bitter leaf (washed well) or baby spinach as a substitute
• Salt, to taste
• 1 liter water or beef stock, for the soup
• 500g fufu flour (cassava or plantain fufu flour)
• 1 liter water, for the fufu

Before you cook

• Cut the beef and tripe into chunks and rinse well
• Chop the onion
• Clean the dried fish and remove any large bones
• Wash the bitter leaf thoroughly in several changes of water to reduce its bitterness, then chop it (skip this step if using spinach)
• Mix the ground ogbono seeds with a few tablespoons of the palm oil in a bowl until it forms a smooth paste

Steps

1. Put the beef and tripe into a large pot with the chopped onion, one stock cube, and half the scotch bonnet pepper
2. Add enough water to cover the meat and bring to a boil
3. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 40 to 45 minutes until the meat is tender
4. Lift out the cooked meat and set it aside, reserving the broth in the pot
5. Add the remaining palm oil to the reserved broth over medium heat
6. Stir in the ogbono paste a spoonful at a time, stirring constantly until it dissolves into the broth
7. Add the dried fish, smoked fish, and ground crayfish
8. Return the cooked beef and tripe to the pot
9. Add the remaining stock cube and the rest of the scotch bonnet pepper to taste
10. Simmer the soup gently for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it thickens to a smooth, stretchy consistency
11. Stir in the chopped bitter leaf and simmer for 3 more minutes
12. Taste and adjust the salt
13. Bring the 1 liter of water for the fufu to a boil in a separate pot
14. Reduce the heat to low and sprinkle in the fufu flour while stirring constantly with a wooden spoon
15. Keep stirring and folding vigorously for 3 to 5 minutes until the mixture turns smooth, stretchy, and lump-free
16. Cover the fufu and let it steam over the lowest heat for 2 minutes
17. Scoop the fufu into a bowl and shape it into smooth mounds with a wet spoon
18. Serve the fufu alongside the hot ogbono soup for scooping