THE MAISON
Efik & Ibibio • South-South Nigerian Culinary Heritage

Seafood Atama Soup

Nigerian Palm-Fruit Soup with Atama Leaf & Seafood

A deeply aromatic palm-fruit soup layered with fragrant atama leaves, tender fish, whole prawns, periwinkles and traditional coastal seasonings.

PREPARATION

30 minutes

COOKING

55 minutes

TOTAL TIME

1 hour 25 minutes

SERVES

6 servings

FROM THE MAISON PANTRY

Ingredients

  • 1½ pounds firm fish, cleaned and cut into large pieces
  • 1 pound whole prawns, cleaned and deveined with shells intact
  • 8 ounces mussels or clams, scrubbed and rinsed
  • 4 ounces shelled periwinkles, thoroughly cleaned
  • 4 ounces dried stockfish, soaked, softened and deboned
  • 4 cups palm-fruit concentrate
  • 1½ cups fish or seafood stock, plus more as needed
  • 1 cup CaMasi Maison™ Premium Dried Atama Leaf, lightly crushed
  • ¼ cup ground crayfish
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 1–2 habanero peppers, blended or adjusted to taste
  • 1 teaspoon ground Cameroon pepper
  • 2 teaspoons premium sea salt, divided and adjusted to taste
THE MAISON METHOD

Preparation Method

  1. Prepare the seafood: Rinse the fish, prawns, mussels or clams, periwinkles and softened stockfish separately. Keep the delicate seafood chilled until needed.
  2. Prepare the Atama leaf: Place the dried Atama leaf in a bowl, cover it with warm water and allow it to soften for 8–10 minutes. Drain thoroughly and lightly crush the leaves between clean palms to release their aroma.
  3. Begin the broth: Place the softened stockfish in a heavy-bottomed pot with the chopped onion, blended habanero, Cameroon pepper, 1 teaspoon of sea salt and the seafood stock. Cover and simmer for 12–15 minutes.
  4. Add the palm-fruit concentrate: Pour in the palm-fruit concentrate and stir gently. Bring the soup to a steady simmer and cook uncovered for 15 minutes, allowing the broth to reduce and deepen in flavor.
  5. Season the soup: Stir in the ground crayfish and cleaned periwinkles. Simmer for another 5 minutes, adding a little seafood stock if the soup becomes excessively thick.
  6. Add the firm fish: Arrange the fish pieces carefully in the soup. Cover and simmer gently for 7–8 minutes without vigorous stirring so the fish remains intact.
  7. Incorporate the Atama leaf: Fold the softened Atama leaf into the soup and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes, gently shaking the pot when necessary instead of stirring forcefully.
  8. Add the delicate seafood: Arrange the whole prawns and mussels or clams in the soup. Cover and cook for 4–6 minutes, until the prawns are opaque and the shells have opened. Discard any shells that remain closed.
  9. Balance and serve: Taste and adjust the remaining sea salt and pepper. Remove the soup from the heat and allow it to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

A NOTE FROM THE MAISON

Maison Notes

Atama leaf has a distinctive aromatic character that becomes more pronounced when it is lightly crushed. Use it thoughtfully so its fragrance complements rather than overwhelms the seafood.
Add the seafood in stages. Stockfish and firm fish require longer cooking, while prawns and shellfish should be added near the end to preserve their tenderness.
For the most authentic foundation, use unsweetened palm-fruit concentrate rather than substituting plain palm oil.
Serve warm with eba, pounded yam, fufu, oat swallow or your preferred heritage accompaniment.

PLEASE NOTE

Allergen Information

Contains fish, shellfish and crustaceans from the fish, stockfish, prawns, mussels or clams, periwinkles and ground crayfish. Check all packaged ingredients before use. Prepared in a kitchen where other allergens may be present.
FROM THE CAMASI MAISON PANTRY

CaMasi Maison™ Premium Dried Atama Leaf

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