Nigerian Fisherman Soup is a straightforward soup made with fish and other seafood as the main protein source. In Efik, it’s known as Efere Ndek Iyak, and it’s native to Akwa-Ibom and Cross River states. They have an abundance of seafood since rivers wind through their cities and villages, and the Atlantic Ocean borders them. It is also made in other coastal areas like Rivers State.
Only men were allowed to migrate for fishing purposes back then. As a result, when the time came to migrate, their wives would gather and pack food to keep their husbands fed until they returned. The fisherman ate anything they caught in their nets at the settlement. These fishermen invented this soup delicacy, which grew from their love for the river, where they made a living.
Table of Content hide 1Types of fisherman soup recipes 1.1Fisherman soup in Port Harcourt 1.1.1Ingredients 1.1.2Directions 1.2Efik fisherman soup 1.2.1Ingredients 1.2.2Directions 1.3Fisherman soup in Uyo 1.4Fisherman soup in Lagos 1.4.1How to cook the best fisherman soupTypes of fisherman soup recipes
As earlier stated, in Akwa Ibom State and other coastal places, fisherman soup is popular. It’s made with seafood that fishermen can easily find and garnished with okra if desired, as the name suggests.
This soup can be made in various ways, each of which is unique to a community in the Niger Delta. While some individuals prepare this dish using tomatoes, others do not. Okra is used by some people and not by others. Again, some people choose to thicken the soup with garri, while others choose pounded yam or cocoyam. The various methods for preparing this meal demonstrate culinary innovation rather than implying that one method is superior to another.
Fisherman soup in Port Harcourt
If you grew up in or have visited Rivers State, you would know that this soup is one of the local delicacies eaten by the state’s people, especially those who reside in Port Harcourt.
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Fisherman soup is prepared in a different but unique way from the other coastal states like Cross River and Akwa Ibom. Below are the ingredients and directions for making this meal.
Ingredients
- Fish
- One cup of jumbo shrimps chopped
- One cup of periwinkles (Isam)
- Four pieces Crab
- 1½ cup fresh crayfish
- 1 ½ cup chopped uziza leaves
- Onion
- Two tablespoons of cocoyam for thickening
- Seasoning cubes
- One tablespoon of powdered crayfish
- Two tablespoon palm oil
- Dry pepper
- Two scotch bonnet pepper
- Salt to taste
Directions
- In a clean pot with boiling water, place your cocoyam and boil until soft; peel and pound till it forms a paste.
- In a separate pot, add all the seafood except the fresh crayfish and cook. Season with salt, pepper, and seasoning cubes.
- Once the seafood is cooked, add in the fresh and powder crayfish and cook for a minute.
- Add the cocoyam paste and stir properly into the cocoyam has dissolved completely. Add in your palm oil and uziza leaves and allow to simmer. You can taste for salt at this point, and if it needs more seasoning cubes or salt, you can add it.
- Your Port Harcourt fisherman soup is ready. You can serve it with any swallow of your choice.
Efik fisherman soup
The Efik fisherman soup is quite different from the one made in Port Harcourt. While the soup made in Port Harcourt uses a thickening agent, the Efik version doesn’t. Here is how to make Efik fisherman soup.
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Ingredients
- Dry pepper
- 1kg fish, preferably catfish or croaker
- 1 cup prawns
- Five large snails
- 1 cup periwinkles
- Crab (optional)
- Crayfish/stock fish
- Three tablespoons of palm oil
- One chili pepper
- One onion
- Seasoning cubes
- Salt to taste
- Okra
- Vegetable of your choice
It is important to note that all the sea foods are optional. Use what you have at home if the sea foods listed above are not readily available.
Directions
You can get the directions to the soup from the link below.
Fisherman soup in Uyo
Making fisherman soup is the same in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, since the Efik are also found in this area. The directions and ingredients are the same. To make Uyo fisherman soup follow the directions in the fisherman soup for Efik.
Fisherman soup in Lagos
Lagos does not have a specific way of making fisherman soup since it is not a local dish. To make fisherman soup in Lagos, follow the recipes above.
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How to cook the best fisherman soup
Nigerian Fisherman Soup is a straightforward soup made with fish and other seafood as the main protein source. In Efik, it's known as Efere Ndek Iyak, and it's native to Akwa-Ibom and Cross River states. They have an abundance of seafood since rivers wind through their cities and villages, and the Atlantic Ocean borders them. It is also made in other coastal areas like Rivers State.
Type: Main course
Cuisine: Nigerian
Keywords: fisherman soup
Recipe Yield: 1
Calories: 291
Preparation Time: PT0H30M
Cooking Time: PT0H30M
Total Time: PT1H00M
Recipe Video Name: How To Cook Nigerian FISHERMAN SOUP Sisi Yemmie
Recipe Ingredients:
- Three large tomatoes, finely chopped
- Dry pepper
- 1kg fish, preferably catfish or croaker
- One cup prawns
- One cup periwinkles
- Crayfish/stock fish
- Crab (optional)
- Three tablespoons of palm oil
- One chili pepper
- One onion
- Two tablespoons of cocoyam or yam for thickener
- Seasoning cubes
- Salt to taste
Recipe Instructions:
Fisherman soup preparation:
- Ensure all ingredients are washed and cleaned properly.
- In a clean pot of boiling water, place your cocoyam or yam and boil till soft. After it has cooked, peel and pound till it forms a paste.
- Then in another pot, add in your seafood and seasoning properly with salt, pepper, and some seasoning cubes and allow to simmer on low heat until properly cooked.
- You can then add in your crayfish or stock fish and allow to simmer for about 1-2minutes.
- Pour palm oil into a pot and add the chopped tomatoes. Allow to fry for a few minutes while stirring at intervals.
- Add the palm oil and tomatoes to the seafood mixture and let it cook for some minutes. Then add the cocoyam or yam paste pounded earlier so that the soup is thick. The yam or cocoyam paste serves as a thickener for the soup.
- Taste and add salt, seasoning cube, and dry pepper to your taste. Serve the soup with any swallow of your choice.
Alternative fisherman soup preparation:
- The second method is similar to the first; the only difference is the exclusion of tomatoes and the addition of okra instead.
- Ensure all ingredients are washed and cleaned properly.
- In a clean pot of boiling water, place your cocoyam or yam and boil till soft. After it has cooked, peel and pound till it forms a paste.
- Season the snail and cook for about ten minutes. Then season fish as well and cook.
- After the fish has cooked, add more water, the water must be enough to cook the soup. Then add palm oil and allow to simmer for another ten minutes.
- Add your crab, periwinkle, prawns, snails, and crayfish to the pot and cook for a bit. Then add in the thickener of your choice.
- Finish up by adding the chopped okra and salt and seasoning to taste. Then serve with any swallow of your choice.
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