Oha (Ora) Soup - Ofe Oha

Ingredients

• Assorted meats such as beef, goat meat, ponmo, cow leg, or shaki
• Stockfish, especially the head, soaked and washed
• Smoked fish, washed with hot water
• 2 cooking spoons palm oil
• 1 bunch oha leaves, shredded by hand
• A handful uziza leaves or 1 teaspoon ground uziza seeds
• 3 to 4 medium cocoyam corms, boiled with skin on and pounded smooth
• 4 tablespoons Wealth Foods ground crayfish
• 1 tablespoon ogiri Igbo
• 2 to 3 yellow scotch bonnet peppers, blended
• 2 Maggi crayfish cubes
• Salt to taste

Method

1. 1Soak and wash the stockfish and smoked fish with hot water, then set the smoked fish aside.
2. 2Boil the tougher meats and stockfish first with Maggi crayfish cubes and salt until tender.
3. 3While the meat cooks, boil the cocoyam with the skin on and no salt for about 20 minutes, then peel and pound or blend until smooth.
4. 4Blend the yellow scotch bonnet peppers and shred the oha leaves by hand.
5. 5When the meats are soft, add the smoked fish and blended pepper, then simmer for 5 minutes. Aim for about 4 cups of rich stock.
6. 6Add palm oil and Wealth Foods ground crayfish, then boil for 6 to 8 minutes until the oil is fully incorporated.
7. 7Add the pounded cocoyam in small dollops, stirring gently until it dissolves and thickens the soup to a semi-fluid consistency.
8. 8Taste and adjust salt, then stir in ogiri Igbo and cook for 1 minute.
9. 9Add uziza leaves or ground uziza, cook for 1 minute, then add the hand-torn oha leaves.
10. 10Switch off the heat and let the residual heat soften the oha for 2 to 3 minutes before serving with any swallow.