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Atama soup
Palm nut and atama leaf soup
Abak atama: the Ibibio palm-nut soup scented with aromatic atama leaves
From Abak and the Ibibio heartland of Akwa Ibom comes this palm-nut soup with a perfume all its own: atama leaves, which smell somewhere between mint, anise and fresh hay. The palm cream is cooked with assorted meat, stockfish, dried fish and periwinkles until the oil glistens on top, then the atama goes in near the end. It is weekend and visitors' food, eaten with pounded yam, fufu or eba. Dried atama is sold in African shops; dried tarragon is the closest substitute. Periwinkles should be bought cleaned, and any with cracked shells thrown away. Avoid adding the atama leaves too early: long boiling dulls their perfume. Chef's tip: go easy on the atama, as too much turns the soup bitter, so start with the amount below and taste before adding more.
- Total time
- 90 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the meats
- 1 ⅛ lb beef chuckcut into 4 cm pieces
- 10 ½ oz goat meat (optional)cut into pieces
- 3 ½ oz stockfishsoaked overnight and cut into pieces; or use dried salt cod, soaked
- 1 onionchopped
- 1 tsp saltto taste
- 2 ½ cups water
For the soup
- 1 ¾ lb palm fruit concentrateor 2 kg fresh palm fruit, boiled, pounded and pressed
- 2 cups waterfor the palm cream
- 3 ½ oz smoked dried fishdeboned, rinsed
- 7 oz periwinkles, shelled or tail-cutbuy cleaned from a reputable fishmonger; frozen shelled ones are easiest
- 3 tbsp ground crayfish
- 2 scotch bonnet chilliespounded
- 1 oz atama leavesfresh, finely shredded; or 1 tbsp dried atama or dried tarragon
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Season 1 ⅛ lb beef chuck, 10 ½ oz goat meat and 3 ½ oz stockfish with 1 onion, 2 stock cubes and 1 tsp salt in a pot, cover and steam over a medium heat for 10 minutes.
10 minStep 2: Add 2 ½ cups water and simmer, covered, until the meat is tender.
40 minStep 3: Rinse 7 oz periwinkles, shelled or tail-cut in several changes of water and discard any with broken shells or a bad smell.
5 minStep 4: Stir 1 ¾ lb palm fruit concentrate with 2 cups water until smooth and pour it into the pot with the meat and its stock.
2 minStep 5: Add 3 ½ oz smoked dried fish, 3 tbsp ground crayfish and 2 scotch bonnet chillies and simmer, uncovered, stirring often, until the soup thickens and red oil rises to the top.
20 minStep 6: Add 7 oz periwinkles, shelled or tail-cut and boil for 5 minutes.
5 minStep 7: Stir in 1 oz atama leaves, simmer for 3 minutes, then taste. Add more salt if needed, and a little more atama only if you want a stronger scent.
3 minStep 8: Rest for 5 minutes off the heat, then serve with pounded yam, fufu or eba.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 590 kcal
- Protein
- 40 g
- Carbs
- 9 g
- Fat
- 44 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does atama soup take?
- About 90 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 65 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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