KOKOFoodie, when you hear the Fisherman soup, what comes to your mind? Maybe a soup that is peculiar to the fisherman or what? Well, if that you may just be right but then, not only does the fisherman soup say something about fishermen but it is for every foodie that knows the power of varieties of seafood.
Fisherman Soup is basically an okra soup garnished with various types and kinds of seafood, periodttt!!! Â It is very popular in the riverine communities in Nigeria that is why its name explains the major occupation of the people. Before we discuss how to make the fantastic soup, let’s see the nutritional benefits of seafood, the dominant ingredients of the Fisherman soup
Seafood is high-protein, omega 3 fatty acids, vitamins and minerals and low in calories, total fat, and saturated fat. Studies have shown to have numerous health benefits including th4 reduction of heart attack, stroke, obesity, and hypertension risk. It also provides essential nutrients for developing infants and children and decreases blood triglyceride levels, improves blood circulation, contributes to neurological development in infants, contributes to vision development and nerve growth in the retina and helps to build muscles and tissues
To the main business of the day… For those who love seafood, this first recipe is definitely for you. Know that you can use all your favorite seafood to prepare the fisherman soup, so feel free to be flexible with this recipe and make it your own.
Method 1
Ingredients: 2kg Fresh Nigerian tiger prawns (cleaned), 1 kg Fresh Fish (cleaned), 500g Dried fish or smoked fish (or both deboned), 500g Stock-fish (optional), 1 cup ground Crayfish, Fresh pepper (chopped), 1/2 kg Fresh spinach or pumpkin leaves (sliced), 100g Fresh basil leaves, 2 medium onions (chopped), 1 cooking spoon of Palm oil, Salt to taste, Seasoning cubes, Okra (cut in large chunks).
Directions
Place the smoked/dried fish in a pot with about 4 cups of water and boil for about 10 mins. If you are using stockfish, you will need to cook for a longer time for it to soften. Add in the fresh fish, tiger prawns, boiled dry fish, along with the chopped onions and peppers and dried crayfish and cook for 5 minutes. Add in the Okro. Put the rest of the ingredients in the pot and stir gently. Cook the soup for another 5-7 minutes. Pour in the palm oil and cook for another 5 minutes. Wash the fresh spinach or pumpkin leaves and add these to the soup and allow to cook for about 5-7 minutes. Remove from the heat and ensure the fisherman soup is served hot with Eba, Fufu or Pounded Yam or any other swallow. Method 2
Ingredients: Any fish of your choice, Snails, Tiger Prawns, Fresh Pepper (Habanero pepper), Salt, Seasoning Cube, Palm oil, Water, Dried Pepper (dried Cameroon pepper preferably), Corn Flour, Okra (for garnish – optional)
Directions
The fisherman soup, like any other soup, needs the ingredients well washed and cleaned. It is a
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lways best to start with your snails because it needs to be cleaned properly and that takes time (refer to my peppered snail and prawn recipe for directions on how best to clean your snails). Once the snails are thoroughly cleaned, put in a pot with some dried pepper (to your taste), salt and seasoning cube and boil till soft to your taste then set aside.
Cut up your fish into your preferred size and place in a bowl. If you are using catfish, you need to pour boiling water over it and ensure your fish is submerged. Please don’t leave it in the hot water for long. Pour out the hot water and pour in tap water. You will notice that you can gently scrap off the slime on its skin and don’t be scared to do the hot water wash as the fish will toughen up rather than scattering (remember don’t leave the fish in the water for long – 1 to 2 mins is fine). Put the washed fish in an empty pot after washing.
Grind the fresh habanero pepper till smooth and add the paste to the fish pot. Put in your salt, seasoning cube and some water (the water you put in should be based on the quantity of sauce you will be hoping to have at the end of the day). Place pot on fire and allow to boil. While the fish pot is on fire, bleach some palm oil and set aside. Once the fish pot starts to boil, add your snails and the bleached palm oil and shake your pot a bit in order to mix its content properly (not advisable to use a spoon to stir the content of the pot so you don’t end up scattering the fish). Also, ensure you bleach your palm oil properly to avoid residue from the palm oil when the soup is done.
Cook for another 5 mins then add your cornflour mix. The cornflour mix is expected to act as a thickener for the soup. To make your cornflour mix, add a tablespoon full of water to a teaspoon full of cornflour and mix. This mixture is what you pour into your soup for the thickening effect. Then shake the pot again and cook for another 5 mins. At this point you need to taste your soup to ensure that you have the right balance of flavours. The prawn is the last thing you should put into the soup as prawns cook fast. Your prawns should have been picked and de-veined earlier. If the prawns are really big, there is nothing wrong with cutting them up a bit. Cook for another 2 mins once you include the prawns and you can take the pot off the heat.
Read also: How To Make Abacha, The Mouth-Watering African Salad
Fisherman soup is done and ready to be served! Keep pot open till the soup cools if not ready to serve immediately. As mentioned earlier, the fisherman soup goes with white rice or any swallow of your choice. You can also chop some okra and place on your fisherman soup when serving hot. The heat from the soup will cook the okra perfectly.
