Efo Riro

Method

1. Put the beef in a 18 cm pot with a quarter of the onion (sliced), half the stock cubes (crumbled) and half the salt. Cover and let it steam in its own juices on medium heat for 5 minutes, then add the water and simmer, partly covered, on medium-low heat for 50 min, until the beef is tender when pierced with a fork. Keep the stock.

   Add in this stepStewing beef (chuck), in 3 cm cubes 240 gOnions (split: for the beef, the blend and frying) ¼Stock cubes ½Salt to tasteWater for the beef 450 ml

   medium heat→medium-low heat

2. Meanwhile, wash the spinach in several changes of cold water until no grit remains, then chop it roughly (about 2 cm). Put it in a colander, pour a kettle of boiling water over it, rinse under cold water and squeeze out as much liquid as you can, a handful at a time; wet spinach makes a watery stew. Remove the skin and bones from the smoked fish, break it into large flakes and soak in hot water for 5 minutes to soften and clean it, then drain.

   Add in this stepFresh spinach (or Nigerian shoko/tete greens) 500 gSmoked fish (catfish or mackerel) 80 g

3. Blend the bell peppers, tomatoes, scotch bonnet and half the onion with just a splash of water until coarse, not perfectly smooth. Pour into a saucepan and boil on high heat for 10 min, stirring now and then, until most of the water has evaporated and the purée is thick. Scotch bonnet is very hot: wash your hands and do not touch your eyes.

   Add in this stepRed bell peppers (tatashe) 1Ripe tomatoes 1Scotch bonnet pepper (ata rodo) ½Onions (split: for the beef, the blend and frying) ½

   high heat

4. Heat the palm oil in a 22 cm pot on medium heat for about 2 min, just until it is melted, hot and fragrant; do not let it smoke. Add the remaining onion, thinly sliced, and the iru and fry for 2 min, stirring, until the onion softens.

   Add in this stepRed palm oil 3 tbspOnions (split: for the beef, the blend and frying) ¼Iru (fermented locust beans), rinsed 1½ tsp

   medium heat

5. Add the reduced pepper purée and fry on medium heat for 10 min, stirring often so it does not catch, until it turns a deeper red, smells sweet rather than raw and the oil rises to the surface. Stir in the crayfish and the remaining stock cubes.

   Add in this stepGround dried crayfish 1½ tbspStock cubes ½

   medium heat

6. Add the drained beef, the fish and 3–4 tablespoons of the beef stock. Simmer on medium-low heat for 5 min so the meat soaks up the sauce. Taste and add the rest of the salt as needed; the stew should be thick, not soupy.

   Add in this stepSalt to taste

   medium-low heat

7. Add the squeezed spinach, stir well so every bit is coated with sauce, and cook uncovered on low heat for just 3 min, until heated through but still bright green. Turn off the heat; overcooking turns the greens dull and soft.

   low heat

8. Serve hot with pounded yam, eba, fufu or plain white rice.