Catfish Pepper Soup

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Catfish Steaks in a warm, spicy broth. This fragrant Catfish Pepper Soup makes a great dinner or appetizer.

Prep Time20

Cook Time20

Total Time40

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: African, Cameroonian, Nigerian

Servings: servings

4 pounds catfish cleaned, gutted, cut into steaks*
1 lemon for cleaning fish
3 inches fresh ginger root peeled and sliced into quarter-inch slices
10 cloves garlic
2 Tablespoons njangsa seeds
2 teaspoons whole white pepper substitute with one teaspoon of ground white pepper
1 medium onion cut into quarters
3 red jalapenos or cayenne pepper optional
1 habanero pepper or scotch bonnet
1 roma tomato
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
3 SMALL Maggi seasoning cubes 4g cubes**
2 Tablespoons pepper soup spices obtainable from African markets
¼ aidan fruit obtainable from African markets
3 sprigs Thai basil sub with Italian basil
Boiled African white yams, plantains, potatoes, or rice for serving.

Clean the fish. Add the catfish steaks to a large bowl. Sprinkle on a tablespoon of salt. Cut the lemon in half and squeeze the lemon juice all over the fish. Using the lemon halves like a sponge and the salt as an abrasive, scrub the flesh of the catfish steaks to remove any slime. Rinse the fish three times with cool water and add to a large pot.
Blend the spices. Add garlic, ginger njangsa seeds, white pepper, and about half a cup of water to a blender. Blend into a smooth paste and add to the pot with the fish.
To the same blender, add the onions, peppers and tomatoes with some water, then blend into a coarse blend for some texture. Add the blend to the pot.
Add the salt, Maggi seasoning cubes (or bouillon powder, and pepper soup spices. Rinse the blender with about 4 to 6 cups of water and add to the pot. Add the aidan fruit whole.
Turn on the heat to high and bring the pot to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-high and let it simmer until the fish is done, about 15 to 20 minutes. To avoid breaking the fish, avoid stirring the pot as it cooks. Instead, lightly shake the pot from side to side and spoon some of the sauce over the fish.
Thinly slice the leaves of the Thai basil and add to the pot. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
Serve hot with boiled African white yams, plantains, potatoes, or rice.

*For easy prep time, have your fishmonger clean and gut the fish for you.
**Maggi has salt, so make sure you use small cubes. If you use larger bouillon cubes, you only need one. Substitute the seasoning cubes with 3 teaspoons of chicken or beef bouillon powder.