Chicken Pepper Soup
★★★★★
PREP TIME
5 minutes
COOK TIME
1 hour
SERVES
6 to 8
Ingredients
10 cups
cold water, divided
3 tablespoons
pepper soup spice mix (below), divided
2 teaspoons
ground crayfish
2
stalks lemongrass, bruised, cut into 3 pieces, and tied into 2 bundles
1/2 teaspoon
dry pepper, plus more to taste
1 teaspoon
kosher salt
1
large (or 2 small) lime leaves
2 to 3
sprigs African basil, torn or roughly chopped, for garnish
8
skins/barks of urheri (grains of Selim), bitter seeds discarded
4
seeds of erhe (calabash nutmeg), shelled
2
seeds of gbafilo, shelled, and seeds roughly chopped
2
seeds of umilo, shelled and seeds roughly chopped
1/2 teaspoon
alligator pepper (grains of paradise)
1/2 teaspoon
uziza seeds
Instructions
- In a large stockpot, combine the chicken, 2 cups water, 1 tablespoon pepper soup spice, the ground crayfish, 1 lemongrass bundle, a pinch of dry pepper, and the salt. Stir well and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
- When the liquid has reached a boil, add the remaining 8 cups water and the rest of the pepper soup spice mix. Simmer steadily on medium to medium-low heat until the meat is tender, but not yet falling off the bone, about 30-40 minutes.
- Add the remaining lemongrass and lime leaf, and take off the heat. Let infuse for 5-10 minutes before serving. Taste broth and adjust seasoning dry pepper and salt. Finish with the basil and a drizzle of palm oil, and serve with boiled yam, plantains, or potatoes.
- Toast the spices in a dry skillet on medium- to medium-low heat, stirring frequently until fragrant, about 5-6 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool completely.
- Powder in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle until finely ground. Store in an airtight jar in a cool pantry or the freezer, where it will last for several months.
Pepper soup spice mix
