BITTER LEAF SOUP...

I'm not even gonna lie, i'm not crazy about bitter leaf soup! I guess because it is bitter and secondly in my mother's bid to make me become this culinary goddess she went a bit over board with the bitter leaf soup. I could understand why anyone would eat something with the word "bitter" in the name and even worse still, mummy dearest would buy it fresh on the stem and i would wash and wash and wash until all the bitter was out, then wash it some more. After all of this, i would be too upset to eat.

Well, mummy said to me a few years ago, "you're getting older and will find yourself in a man's house soon, you can't keep selecting food and saying you don't like this and that so cant or wont cook it". So in the spirit of that, i started attempting some of my forbidden foods (i don't mind okro right now, still on the fence on bitter leaf but don't know if anything can be done about oha and beans *shudders*).

This is my 2nd solo attempt, in my first attempt i thickened it with achi but didn't like it so this time i used cocoyam. After cooking this i invited my dearest Taster who flies the bitter leaf flag high and proud and she promised that the criticism would be harsh as this is her fave soup ever. I swallowed a lump in my throat and said it was fine. I only decided to put this up after she ate, turned to me and said "you really are becoming a well rounded cook, that wasn't half bad at all". 

My friends don't bullshit, i believe her so here goes...

Already washed bitter leaf

Stockfish

Dried Fish

Beef

Snail

Crayfish

2 small cocoyams

Palm oil

Salt and Pepper

Onions

Peel and cook cocoyam and set aside with some of the cooking water still in the pot.

Season your meat with salt, pepper and onions and cook together with fish until tender then add your dried fish and snail. Allow to cook for another 10 minutes the add ground crayfish and cover.

Add about 3 tablespoons of palm oil and a bit of water if the stock is too thick and cover for another 5 minutes.

Pound cocoyam in a mortar with some of the water used to boil it until you have a smooth paste. Incorporate this into your soup gradually, stirring all the time so it doesn't form a thick lump at the bottom of your pot, then turn down the heat.

Allow to cook for another 5 minutes and add a little water if its too thick and need some lightening up. Add your washed bitterleaf. Cook covered for another 2 minutes and take it off the heat and serve.

:)