Chicken Pepper Soup
 
 
This version of peppersoup uses freshly ground spices only. Using meat on the bone also helps to intensify the flavour of the soup. I wanted a fairly clear broth and so I skimmed the broth and and strained the spices and crayfish, using just the liquid and not the pulp. However, it is perfectly acceptable to add the ground spices and crayfish straight to the soup, in which case they should be groudn to a fine powder with a spice or coffee mill. Any meat or fish may be used instead of chicken – cooking times will obviously vary.
Author:
Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • 1.5kg chicken on the bone (trimmed of excess fat and cut into spoon-sized pieces)
  • 3 onions, about 450g (peeled and quartered)
  • 2 Scotch bonnet chillies, about 16g
  • 1 teaspoon Cameroon pepper (optional as it is very hot but adds a heady aromatic flavour)
  • 2L water + 400ml for blending the spices
  • 1 fresh bay leaf (or 2 dried)
  • 50g crayfish (finely ground)
  • 2 teaspoons scent leaf (finely shredded)
  • 1 teaspoon of utazi
  • 4 ehuru (toasted, shelled and finely ground)
  • 1 teaspoon atariko (toasted and finely ground)
  • Salt to taste
Instructions
  1. Place the chicken in a large saucepan with the water and bring to a boil, skimming off any impurities that rise to the top.
  2. Liquidise the onions and chilli using just enough water to facilitate the process and blend it into a smooth paste. Add the mixture to the pan together with the bay leaf and Cameroon pepper (if using).
  3. Put most of the ehuru, atariko and crayfish into a blender together with 200ml of water and blend for two minutes or so until the mixture turns brown (the pulse setting may be useful).
  4. Using a sieve, strain this mixture into the saucepan. Use the back of a wooden spoon to press against the mixture to extract as much flavour as possible.
  5. Put the resulting pulp back in the blender with another 200ml of water and repeat the process.
  6. Bring the strained mixture back to a boil. Turn turn the heat down and simmer for about 30 minutes until the meat is tender. Add the scent leaf, utazi and the rest of the ehuru just before serving.
Notes
Use fresh scent leaves if possible, as the green leaves provide a lovely contrast to the brown broth.

TO SERVE
4 - 6 chives, finely chopped (2 finely chopped spring onions may be used instead)
Recipe by The Executive Mama Put at http://www.executivemamaput.com/chicken-pepper-soup/