THE MAISON
Nigeria • Efik–Ibibio Culinary Heritage

Classic Editan Soup

Traditional Efik–Ibibio Leaf Soup

Earthy, richly textured and deeply nourishing, Classic Editan Soup combines carefully prepared Editan leaves, tender waterleaf, assorted meats and heritage seafood in a treasured Efik–Ibibio soup.

PREPARATION

35 minutes

COOKING

1 hour 20 minutes

TOTAL TIME

1 hour 55 minutes

SERVES

6 servings

FROM THE MAISON PANTRY

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds assorted meat, such as beef, goat meat, tripe or cow skin, cleaned and cut into pieces
  • 1 cup cooked stockfish pieces, rinsed and deboned
  • 1 medium smoked or dried fish, cleaned, deboned and divided into pieces
  • 2 ounces CaMasi Maison™ Premium Dried Editan Leaf
  • 1 pound fresh waterleaf, thoroughly washed and chopped
  • 1 cup cleaned shelled periwinkles, optional
  • ½ cup natural red palm oil
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • ¼ cup CaMasi Maison™ Premium Ground Crayfish
  • 1–2 tablespoons ground dried pepper, adjusted to taste
  • 2 teaspoons premium sea salt, divided and adjusted to taste
  • 2 seasoning cubes, optional
  • 3 cups reserved meat stock, plus more as needed

If fresh waterleaf is unavailable, use approximately 12 ounces of fresh baby spinach, chopped. The flavor will differ slightly, but the recipe will still work.

THE MAISON METHOD

Preparation Method

  1. Rehydrate the Editan: Place the dried Editan leaves in a large bowl and cover them with warm water. Allow the leaves to soften for 20 minutes.
  2. Wash the Editan: Drain the leaves, then massage and rinse them gently in several changes of clean water. Squeeze out the water after each rinse. Taste a small piece and continue rinsing until the bitterness has softened to your preference without being removed completely.
  3. Prepare the waterleaf: Wash the waterleaf thoroughly to remove any grit. Drain it well and chop it into manageable pieces. Set it aside separately from the Editan.
  4. Season the meat: Place the assorted meat in a large, heavy-bottomed pot. Add the chopped onion, 1 teaspoon of sea salt, the seasoning cubes if using and approximately 1 cup of water.
  5. Cook the meat: Cover and cook over medium heat for 35–45 minutes, or until the meat is tender. Add hot water in small amounts when necessary so that sufficient stock remains for the soup.
  6. Add the stockfish: Add the cleaned stockfish during the final 15 minutes of cooking the meat. Once tender, reserve approximately 3 cups of the cooking stock.
  7. Build the soup base: Add the palm oil, ground crayfish and dried pepper to the meat and stockfish. Stir well and simmer uncovered over medium-low heat for 8–10 minutes.
  8. Add the seafood: Add the smoked fish and periwinkles if using. Stir carefully to avoid breaking the fish, then simmer for another 5 minutes.
  9. Add the waterleaf: Fold the chopped waterleaf into the pot. Cover and cook for 5–7 minutes. The leaves will release some natural moisture as they soften.
  10. Add the Editan: Add the washed and squeezed Editan leaves gradually, folding them evenly through the soup. Add a small amount of reserved stock if the mixture appears excessively dry.
  11. Complete the soup: Simmer uncovered for another 8–10 minutes, stirring gently and occasionally. The finished soup should be leafy, moist and richly concentrated rather than watery.
  12. Adjust the seasoning: Taste and add the remaining salt or additional pepper as required. Remove the soup from the heat and allow it to rest for 5 minutes.
  13. Serve: Serve warm with eba, pounded yam, fufu, semolina or another preferred heritage swallow.

A NOTE FROM THE MAISON

Maison Notes

Editan naturally carries a pleasant bitterness. Rehydrate, massage and rinse the leaves carefully, but avoid washing away every trace of their distinctive character.
Waterleaf releases moisture during cooking, so begin with a modest amount of stock. Add additional stock only when necessary. The finished soup should be generously leafy and richly spoonable, with the Editan remaining the defining flavor.

PLEASE NOTE

Allergen Information

Contains fish from stockfish and smoked or dried fish. Contains shellfish from ground crayfish and periwinkles, if included. Check the ingredients of any seasoning cubes used. Prepared in a kitchen where other allergens may be present.
FROM THE CAMASI MAISON PANTRY

CaMasi Maison™ Premium Dried Editan Leaf

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