Nigerian Fisherman soup is a simple soup made with fish and other seafood as its protein source. It is called Efere Ndek Iyak in Efik and is indigenous to the people of Akwa-Ibom and Cross River states of Nigeria. Living with rivers winding through their towns and villages and bound by the Atlantic ocean, they have an abundance of seafood.
Really anywhere there’s a body of water, river, sea, ocean, lake, the surrounding communities usually has a Fisherman stew or soup associated with them, for example, Nsala soup (Onitsha, Asaba), Cioppino, Italian-American Fish Stew, Kakavia, Greek Fisherman’s Soup, halászlé, Hungarian Fisherman’s soup etc.
Seafarers will also develop stews and soups made up of any seafood that they are able to catch. As time passed, the recipe will be refined and as it made its way inland, more unusual ingredients will get added and others removed. Families will also have their own recipes.
Fisherman soup is very similar to Nsala Soup and it’s quite easy to prepare. The fish used here is a mature catfish, I also included a small lobster. The thickener of choice is yam, but you can use cocoyam or any other thickener but nothing with an overbearing taste. There will be some subtle difference in taste with each type of thickener.
The fish is normally fresh from the river but any fish will do. Use as much pepper as you can tolerate, Nigerian seafood soups and stews usually have some heat (pepper) in them. Okro is optional, in fact, some people don’t want any type of sliminess in their Fisherman soup, my Rennaisance man will not eat it once there is okro in it.
To prepare Nigerian fisherman soup
Fresh catfish prawn or shrimp Periwinkle (Isam) Ngolo (Whelks) Dryfish Stock fish (cooked) Cameroun pepper (optional) Ground Scotch bonnet (Fresh Pepper) 1 medium Onion (chopped or pureed) 1 teaspoon Ground Uziza seed 1/2 cup Ground Crayfish 1/2-3/4 cup Palmoil 3 Seasoning cubes Salt 1/2 cup pounded Yam small bunch Uziza leaves (shredded) 2 whole Okro (sliced)
Wash the fresh catfish, cut and set aside. Clean snails, prawns and ngolo.
Place fish, snail, dry fish and stockfish in a medium-sized pot, season with salt and 1 seasoning cube.
Add Onion, scotch bonnet, Cameroun pepper, a little scotch bonnet, ground uziza seed and 2 cups of water.
Cover, bring to a boil and cook on low heat for 5 minutes.
Remove the fish, set aside.
Increase the heat and continue cooking the snail, add Ngolo, crayfish, 2 seasoning cubes, and some water.
Bring to a boil, add Palm oil and lumps of pounded yam.
Cook until thickened and the soup has a uniform colour. (If there are still lumps of pounded yam at this stage, scoop them out, it delicious to eat).
Gently put the fish back, add prawn, periwinkle and okro. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
Add shredded Uziza leaf, cook for another 2 minutes and take off the heat.
Serve your Fisherman soup with any swallow of choice, but it deserves pounded yam.
Nigerian Fisherman soup
Ingredients
- Fresh catfish
- prawn or shrimp
- Periwinkle (Isam)
- Ngolo (Whelks)
- Dryfish
- Stock fish cooked
- Cameroun pepper optional
- Ground Scotch bonnet (Fresh Pepper)
- 1 medium Onion chopped or pureed
- 1 teaspoon Ground Uziza seed
- ½ cup Ground Crayfish
- 1/2-3/4 cup Palmoil
- 3 Seasoning cubes
- Salt
- ½ cup pounded Yam
- small bunch Uziza leaves, shredded
- 2 whole Okro (sliced)
Instructions
- Wash the fresh catfish, cut and set aside. Clean snails, prawns and ngolo.
- Boil and pound yam.
- Place fish, snail, dry fish and stockfish in a medium-sized pot, season with salt and 1 seasoning cube.
- Add Onion, scotch bonnet, Cameroun pepper, a little scotch bonnet, ground uziza seed and 2 cups of water.
- Cover, bring to a boil and cook on low heat for 5 minutes.
- Remove the fish, set aside.
- Increase the heat and continue cooking the snail, add Ngolo, crayfish, 2 seasoning cubes, and some water.
- Bring to a boil, add Palm oil and lumps of pounded yam.
- Cook until thickened and the soup has a uniform colour. (If there are still lumps of pounded yam at this stage, scoop them out, it delicious to eat).
- Gently put the fish back, add prawn, periwinkle and okro. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Add shredded Uziza leaf, cook for another 2 minutes and take off the heat.
Notes
- Serve your Fisherman soup with any swallow of choice, but it deserves pounded yam.
If you enjoyed my Fisherman soup you will also enjoy my Nsala soup (white soup), Nigerian seafood Chowder, Fresh Fish pepper soup (Point and kill), Imoyo (Fish stew) and Nigerian crispy fried whitebait (yor-yor).
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I am Ganiru, a wife, a mother, a food blogger, a chef, an author and an accountant. I love to cook and write about food, especially Nigerian and afro-centric food...