Charred-Tomato Goat Light Soup with Garden Eggs

Method

1. Put the goat in a pot, cover with cold water and boil on high heat for 5 min, then tip into a colander and rinse under the tap. Throwing away the grey scum removes the gamey smell and keeps the soup clear.

   Add in this stepBone-in goat meat, cut in 4 cm pieces 500 g

   high heat

2. Return the meat to a clean 22 cm pot with half the onions (chopped), the ginger and garlic pounded in a mortar, the salt and the crumbled stock cube; mix well. Cover and let it steam in its own juices on medium-low heat for 15 min, stirring now and then. If the bottom starts to dry out, add 2 or 3 tablespoons of water.

   Add in this stepOnions ¾Fresh ginger 15 gGarlic cloves 3Salt 1 tspStock cube 1

   medium-low heat

3. Meanwhile, set a heavy dry frying pan over medium-high heat and roast the tomatoes, the remaining onion (halved) and the pepper for 8 min, turning them, until the skins are blistered and blackened in patches. That smoky note is what lifts this version. The pepper smoke is fierce, so open a window.

   Add in this stepMedium tomatoes 3Onions ¾Scotch bonnet pepper (or habanero) 1

   medium-high heat

4. Add all the water, the garden eggs (stems removed) and the charred vegetables to the meat. Bring to the boil on high heat, then lower to medium heat and cook for 12 min, until a chopstick slides easily into the garden eggs.

   Add in this stepWater 1,100 mlGarden eggs (small white aubergines) or small aubergines 2

   high heat→medium heat

5. Lift out the garden eggs and charred vegetables and blend them with a ladle of broth until very smooth (hot liquid: fill the blender only halfway and hold the lid with a towel). Press through a sieve back into the pot. The garden eggs give the broth a natural, velvety body.

6. Simmer on medium-low heat with the lid ajar for 50 min, skimming off the foam and excess fat. The goat is done when the tip of a knife slips in easily. If the soup reduces too much, top up with a little hot water.

   medium-low heat

7. Remove the skin and bones from the smoked fish, break it into large flakes, add it to the pot and just warm through on low heat for 5 min; don't stir, or it will crumble. Taste, adjust the salt and serve piping hot with fufu or omo tuo.

   Add in this stepSmoked mackerel (or other smoked fish) 100 g

   low heat