Nigerian Pepper Soup with Catfish Steaks

Ingredients

• 1¼ lb Catfish Steaks, in thick pieces
• 2 tbsp pepper soup spice blend (or 1 tsp each ground ehuru, uda, and calabash nutmeg)
• 1 Scotch bonnet, pierced
• 1 onion, roughly chopped
• 1-inch piece ginger, grated
• 1 bouillon cube
• 4 cups water
• Handful scent leaf or basil, torn
• Salt to taste

Method

1. Bring the water, onion, ginger, bouillon, and Scotch bonnet to a simmer and let it infuse 8 minutes. The broth should smell sharp and green before anything else goes in.
2. Stir in the pepper soup spice and simmer 5 more minutes so the woody spices bloom rather than taste dusty.
3. Slide in the Catfish Steaks and hold the pot at a bare shiver — not a boil, which shreds fish. Cook 8–12 minutes until fish flakes at 145°F (63°C) or poultry reaches 175°F (79°C).
4. Season with salt, throw in the scent leaf, and cover off the heat for 2 minutes. Serve in deep bowls with the chili on the side for anyone who wants to escalate.