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Edikang ikong Soup
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Edikang ikong Soup

This is a delightful Delicacy from the South Southern region of Nigeria ( specifically Akwa Ibom and Cross River States) which never disappoints. This could well be the way to your Nigerian man's heart. 
Course Main Course
Cuisine Nigerian
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 10
Calories 483kcal
Author Chichi Uguru

Ingredients

  • 350 g beef or smoked turkey precooked
  • 300 g cow feet precooked
  • 350 g stock fish precooked
  • 1 piece African style dried fish deboned and washed thoroughly (optional)
  • 1/4 cup crayfish coarsely blended
  • 5-6 cups meat stock
  • 1 large onion finely chopped
  • 1-1/2 cup Palm oil
  • 1 Tbsp ground Cameroon pepper or 2 Habanero peppers
  • 226g (8oz) Fresh Kale vegetable chopped
  • 907g (32 0z) Frozen Spinach completely thawed and all liquid squeezed out
  • Salt and/or bouillon powder to taste

Instructions

  • Bring meat stock to a boil, Add ground crayfish and dry pepper. .
  • Pour Palm oil in a clean sauce pan over medium heat. When oil has heated up, pour chopped onions in. Stir and sauté for a minute.
  • Pour pre cooked meats into boiling meat stock. Then pour in the palm oil and sauteed onion mix. 
  • Stir in, taste and adjust for seasoning accordingly. Cover pot and allow to simmer for about 2 minutes.
  • Stir in your completely defrosted and squeezed spinach, allow to simmer for about a minute, then stir in the chopped kale leaves. 
  • Turn off heat and allow vegetable cook in residual heat. 
  • Serve with any swallow foods of your choice. I served mine with oatmeal swallow.

Notes

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Tips For Recipe Success
  1. Edikang Ikong is not a watery soup, so you have to go easy on the meat stock.
  2. You can start with 4 cups, adding the 5th and 6th cup as the recipe progresses using your descretion
  3. Squeezing out the water from the thawed spinach is vital to your water control in the soup.
  4. For this recipe, more oil is better but you can use less based on your dietary needs.
If you decide to use fresh spinach leaves instead of the frozen one, you would need more than the amount specified in this recipe. since this recipe was made with frozen spinach. You will also have to pay a closer attention to the the water content of your soup because you won't be able to squeeze out water from the fresh spinach as you would from the frozen one.
Here are a  few steps  what you can take, this also applies to the Nigerian waterleaf.
  1. Sun dry the vegetable a bit.
  2. Remember to squeeze out as much water as you can after washing it.  
  3. Transfer to colander and leave for a while to drain some more and to get air dried or you can use a salad spinner if you have one.
  4. Steam a bit in a dry pot and if a lot of water still comes out drain it then set aside to put in the soup when ready
If you have more questions, drop me a few lines in the comment section, I would be happy to help