Moi Moi Elemi Meje (Banana-Leaf Moi Moi with Smoked Mackerel, Prawns and Egg)

Method

1. Soak the beans in cold water for 45 min. A longer soak makes peeling easier and the batter smoother.

   Add in this stepDried black-eyed beans 160 g

2. Rub the beans between your palms, or pulse them in a blender with water 3–4 times for 1–2 seconds, then flood with water and pour off the floating skins; repeat 3–4 times until only white beans remain. Drain in a sieve.

3. Put the eggs in a 14 cm pan with cold water and, once it boils, cook on medium heat for 10 min until hard. Cool, peel and quarter them.

   Add in this stepEggs 1

   medium heat

4. Prepare the fillings: carefully remove the skin and small bones from the mackerel and break it into large flakes. Cut the prawns into 1.5 cm pieces. Wipe the banana leaves with a damp cloth, then dip them in boiling water for 30 seconds or pass them briefly over a low flame until soft and shiny so they fold without tearing.

5. Put the peeled beans, red pepper, scotch bonnet, onion and most of the stock in a blender and blend for 2 min until silky smooth.

   Add in this stepRed bell pepper 1Scotch bonnet chilli ½Onion 70 gChicken stock, warm 144 ml

6. Put the palm oil in a small pan and just melt it on low heat for 1 min (letting it smoke kills the colour and aroma). Pour the batter into a large bowl and add the melted palm oil, most of the vegetable oil, the crayfish, crumbled stock cube, salt and the rest of the stock. Whisk hard for 3 min to beat in air until the batter lightens a shade. It should be like thick pancake batter.

   Add in this stepRed palm oil 2 tbspVegetable oil 1 tbspGround dried crayfish (or ground dried shrimp) 2½ tspChicken stock cube 1Salt ½ tspChicken stock, warm 96 ml

   low heat

7. Fold each banana leaf into a cone or line a small bowl with it, and brush lightly with the remaining vegetable oil. Pour in a third of the batter, add mackerel, prawns and egg, then cover with more batter. Fold the leaf into a parcel and tie it with string or a strip of leaf. Make 4 parcels in all.

   Add in this stepBanana leaves (25 cm squares) or foil 4Vegetable oil ½ tbspSmoked mackerel, boned 80 gRaw peeled prawns, deveined 80 g

8. Line the bottom of a 24 cm pot with leftover leaf scraps or a steamer rack and add 3 cm of water. Stand the parcels in it, bring to the boil on high heat, cover, turn down to medium heat and steam for 50 min, topping up with boiling water as needed. Open one: it's done when a skewer comes out of the centre clean and the prawns are opaque and orange.

   high heat→medium heat

9. Turn off the heat and leave covered for 10 minutes so it firms up. Serve in the leaves and open them at the table.