Nigerian Okra Soup

If using dried fish, rinse it and soak for 20 minutes, then drain; pre-boil the dried fish until tender and remove the bones.

Cut the beef into small pieces and put it in a pot together with the onion, dried fish, 700 ml water and half of the salt. Bring to a boil and simmer over medium heat for 20 minutes, until the meat is tender.

Add the peeled shrimp to the pot with the beef and cook for 5 minutes, just until they turn pink.

Meanwhile, finely chop half of the okra, and grate or very finely mince the other half: this helps the soup thicken better and become nicely stretchy.

In a separate pot, heat the red palm oil over medium heat. Add the ground dried crayfish and chopped chili pepper, stirring for 2 minutes without letting them burn.

Add the okra to the oil with the crayfish and chili, stir and cook for 3–4 minutes, until it softens and starts releasing its slime.

Transfer the okra into the pot with the beef, dried fish and shrimp, gently fold from bottom to top and simmer for 5 minutes over low heat.

Stir in the chopped spinach, heat through for another 3–5 minutes, taste and add the remaining salt to taste. Serve hot; okra soup is traditionally eaten with fufu, banku or eba.