Equipment
Ingredients
Pepper Blend
- 400 g red bell peppers, roughly chopped
- 300 g roma tomatoes, roughly chopped
- 150 g red onion, roughly chopped
- 15 g scotch bonnet pepper, stemmed and seeded
Stew Base
- 80 ml red palm oil
- 100 g red onion, thinly sliced
- 25 g iru (fermented locust beans), rinsed
- 10 g garlic, minced
- 10 g ginger, minced
- 15 g ground crayfish
- 120 ml vegetable stock
- 5 g salt
Protein
- 6 eggs, hard-boiled and peeled
Nutrition (per serving)
Method
Place the red bell peppers, roma tomatoes, roughly chopped red onion, and scotch bonnet pepper into a food processor. Pulse until a coarse puree forms. Do not over-blend; the mixture should retain some texture.
Pour the pepper puree into a pot and boil over medium-high heat for 15 minutes to reduce the water content. Stir occasionally with a wooden spoon until it transforms into a thick paste.
In a separate Dutch oven, heat the red palm oil over medium heat. Add the sliced red onion and rinsed iru. Saute for 3 to 4 minutes until the onions are translucent and the fermented locust beans release their rich aroma.
Stir the minced ginger and garlic into the oil, cooking for 1 minute. Add the reduced pepper paste, vegetable stock, ground crayfish, and salt. Mix thoroughly and simmer at 90 C/195 F for 10 minutes, allowing the palm oil to separate slightly and float to the top of the sauce.
Using a chef's knife, lightly score the peeled hard-boiled eggs to allow flavor penetration. Gently fold them into the stew. Simmer for a final 5 minutes so the eggs absorb the vibrant sauce. Ensure the stew and eggs reach an internal temperature of at least 74 C/165 F before serving.
Chef's Notes
- Scoring the boiled eggs creates tiny channels for the umami-rich oil and pepper sauce to seep into the egg whites, drastically improving the overall flavor integration.
- Iru (fermented locust beans) has a pungent aroma when raw, but mellows into a deep, savory, mushroom-like umami when fried in palm oil. This frying step is crucial for developing the authentic flavor profile.
- Reducing the pepper puree before frying is a classic Nigerian technique that concentrates the natural sweetness of the bell peppers and prevents the stew from simply boiling in the oil base.
- If authentic red palm oil is unavailable, you can substitute a neutral oil mixed with a tablespoon of sweet paprika, though you will miss out on the distinctive floral and earthy notes of the palm oil.
Storage
Refrigerator: 1 week — Store in an airtight container to prevent the strong aromas from transferring to other foods.
Freezer: 3 months — Freezing is recommended for the sauce only; boiled eggs become rubbery when frozen and thawed.
Reheating: Warm gently on the stovetop over low heat, adding a splash of water if the stew has thickened too much in the fridge.
