ABAK ATAMA SOUP serves 4-6,

This is a rich-palm nut soup, highly spiced and flavoured with the aromatic atama leaves (a spicy aromatic leave that could be used dried or fresh). The dried leaves are a lot more pungent in flavour.

l kg/11b assorted meats (beef oxtail tripe, ponmo, bokoto & bushmeat)
450g / lib stockfish (pre-soaked)
1 medium dry fish (washed & flaked)
225g/8oz atama leaves (washed & shredded)
225g/8ozperiwinkle (top & tail)
225g / 8oz ground chillies
225g / 8oz ground crayfish
11t / 2pt palm-nut concentrated
salt to taste

Wash the meat thoroughly and place in a large pot. Season with salt and ground chillies. Add some stock and cook for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, wash the oil-palm and c°ok until soft to make the concentrate. Add the washed smoked fish and stockfish to the pot of boiling meats and cook for 10 minutes. Add the palmoil concentrate and Atama leaves, bring to the boil and cook till slightly reduced and soup coats the back of a spoon. Stir in the crayfish and periwinkles, cook for 15minutes until well blended, check seasoning and serve with pounded yam.

Courtesy of Laura Edet