How to cook ofe ede
While growing up, I always looked forward to the days when ofe ede was prepared at home. Learning how to cook ofe ede became one of my favorite experiences because the aroma alone could fill the whole house and make everyone excited.
What made it even more special was the stock fish. As it cooked slowly, it released a unique flavor that blended perfectly with the dish, giving it a taste I could never forget.
Over time, I kept exploring different methods on how to cook ofe ede to make it even more enjoyable. One of the best changes I made was trying palm fruit instead of palm oil.
The first time I did, the result surprised me. The palm fruit added a natural richness that made the dish not only more delicious but also more appealing when served. Its flavor complemented the stock fish and other ingredients in a way that made the meal complete.
In this particular recipe, I decided to add ice fish along with the stock fish. The mix of the two gives the soup a fuller taste, balancing the deep flavor of stock fish with the lighter freshness of ice fish. Combined with the palm fruit, the result is a pot of ofe ede that is rich, tasty, and beautiful when placed on the plate.
Ingredients for cooking ofe ede
- Cocoyam (ede), peeled and washed. Enough to thicken your soup.
- Palm fruits (ripe, for extracting juice)
- Stock fish (soaked to soften)
- Ice fish (fresh fish, cleaned)
- Dried fish (washed, deboned if necessary)
- Ogiri (about 1 tablespoon, depending on taste)
- Crayfish (ground)
- Fresh pepper (blended or pounded)
- Seasoning cubes
- Salt to taste
- Onugbu(bitter leaf) you can use any other leaves you.
1. Extract the palm fruit juice
Boil palm fruits until soft.
Pound them in a mortar.
Add warm water, mix, and sieve the extract. Keep aside.( Be careful not to add excess water)
2. Prepare the cocoyam
Peel and wash the cocoyam.
Cook until soft, then pound smoothly or blend.
3. Prepare the proteins
Wash stock fish and dried fish thoroughly. Soak the stock fish if it’s hard. This will enable it to cook faster
Wash ice fish and set aside.
4. Cooking process
In a clean pot, pour the extracted palm fruit juice.
Add the stock fish and allow to boil until it softens.
Add dried fish, pepper, ground crayfish, ogiri, and seasoning cubes. Cook together until the flavors blend.
Add the cocoyam paste in lumps to the boiling soup. It will dissolve gradually and thicken the soup.
Add icefish towards the end so it doesn’t scatter.
Taste and adjust with salt.
Add your onugbu(bitterleaf) or any other leaf you want. Allow it to simmer for 5-7 minutes
Serving
Serve hot with pounded yam, fufu, or garri. Depending on your preference.
