Nigerian Goat Meat Pepper Soup

Method

1. Wash the goat meat 2 or 3 times in cold water to remove bone fragments and blood, and cut it, bone and all, into 4 cm pieces (your butcher can do this). Chop the onion and grate or finely chop the garlic and ginger. Scotch bonnets are very hot: wear disposable gloves to handle them and keep your hands away from your eyes.

2. Put the meat, onion, garlic, ginger, half the salt and half the stock cube in a 20 cm pot and mix well. Without adding water, cover and 'steam' over medium heat for 10 min, stirring now and then, until the meat releases its juices, absorbs the seasoning and changes colour on the outside.

   Add in this stepGoat meat, bone-in (or bone-in lamb or beef) 500 gOnion ½Garlic cloves 2Fresh ginger 10 gSalt ¼ tspStock cube ½

   medium heat

3. Pour in the water and bring to a boil over high heat, skimming off any scum that rises. Lower the heat to medium-low heat, set the lid ajar and simmer for 55 min, until a fork slides easily into the meat. Top up with a little hot water if it reduces too much.

   Add in this stepWater 1,000 ml

   high heat→medium-low heat

4. Add the pepper soup spice, ground crayfish and the rest of the stock cube and salt, then the scotch bonnet: whole and pricked a few times with a toothpick for gentle heat, or finely chopped for full fire. Simmer over medium-low heat for 15 min more to let the spices infuse.

   Add in this stepPepper soup spice (ready-made mix of calabash nutmeg, grains of selim, uziza and more) 2½ tspGround dried crayfish, or ground dried shrimp 1½ tbspScotch bonnet pepper (or habanero) 1Stock cube ½Salt ¼ tsp

   medium-low heat

5. Tear in the scent leaf, warm over low heat for just 2 min, then turn off the heat. Taste for salt, remove any whole pepper, and serve hot with plenty of broth in each bowl.

   Add in this stepScent leaf, or holy basil or Thai basil 8 g

   low heat