Nigeria • Yoruba Culinary Heritage

Classic Efo Riro

Yoruba Leafy Green and Pepper Stew

Vibrant, savory and deeply satisfying, Classic Efo Riro combines tender leafy greens, a richly fried pepper base, assorted meats and heritage seafood in one of Yorubaland’s most treasured dishes.

PREPARATION

30 minutes

COOKING

1 hour 15 minutes

TOTAL TIME

1 hour 45 minutes

SERVES

6 servings

FROM THE MAISON PANTRY

Ingredients

2 pounds assorted meat, such as beef, tripe and 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 pounds fresh efo shoko, efo tete, amaranth greens or mature spinach
3 large red bell peppers, seeded and roughly chopped
2 habanero or Scotch bonnet peppers, adjusted to taste
2 medium onions, divided
½ cup natural red palm oil
¼ cup CaMasi Maison™ Premium Ground Crayfish
2 tablespoons fermented locust beans, iru, rinsed
2 teaspoons premium sea salt, divided and adjusted to taste
2 seasoning cubes, optional
1½ cups reserved meat stock, plus more as needed

THE MAISON METHOD

Preparation Method

Prepare the greens: Remove any tough stems from the leafy greens. Wash the leaves thoroughly in several changes of cool water to eliminate sand and grit, then drain them completely.
Cut the greens: Slice the drained leaves into wide ribbons. Avoid chopping them too finely, as the greens should retain some texture in the finished stew.
Season the meat: Place the assorted meat in a large, heavy-bottomed pot. Add one finely chopped onion, 1 teaspoon of sea salt, the seasoning cubes if using and approximately 1 cup of water.
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. Reserve approximately 1½ cups of the cooking stock.
Add the stockfish: Add the cleaned stockfish during the final 15 minutes of cooking the meat. Once tender, remove the pot from the heat and set the proteins aside.
Blend the peppers: Place the red bell peppers, habanero peppers and remaining onion in a blender. Pulse until coarsely blended. Avoid adding water and do not blend the mixture completely smooth.
Reduce the pepper blend: Pour the blended peppers into a wide saucepan. Cook uncovered over medium heat for 12–15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until most of the excess liquid has evaporated.
Heat the palm oil: Pour the palm oil into a large, dry pot and warm it over medium heat. Do not bleach the oil; heat it only until it becomes fluid and lightly shimmering.
Fry the aromatics: Add the iru to the warm palm oil and cook for 1–2 minutes. Stir in the ground crayfish and cook briefly until fragrant.
Fry the pepper mixture: Carefully add the reduced pepper blend. Cook uncovered over medium-low heat for 12–15 minutes, stirring periodically, until the sauce darkens slightly and the palm oil begins to rise.
Add the proteins: Add the cooked meat and stockfish to the pepper sauce. Pour in approximately 1 cup of reserved meat stock and stir until everything is evenly coated.
Develop the stew: Simmer uncovered for 8–10 minutes. Add the smoked fish and stir carefully so the pieces remain intact.
Add the greens: Fold the sliced greens gradually into the pepper sauce. Allow each addition to soften slightly before adding more. Avoid adding extra water because the vegetables will release some moisture.
Complete the Efo Riro: Cook uncovered for 5–7 minutes, stirring gently. The leaves should become tender while retaining their rich green color and some texture.
Adjust the consistency: If the stew appears too dry, add reserved stock one tablespoon at a time. The finished Efo Riro should be moist and richly coated, without excess liquid collecting in the pot.
Finish and serve: Taste and adjust the salt and pepper. Remove the stew from the heat and allow it to rest for 5 minutes. Serve warm with pounded yam, eba, amala, fufu, rice or boiled yam.

A NOTE FROM THE MAISON

Maison Notes

Drain the greens thoroughly before adding them to the stew. Excess water can dilute the richly fried pepper base and prevent the finished Efo Riro from developing its characteristic concentrated flavor.
Add the greens only after the pepper sauce has fried properly and its oil begins to rise. Cook the leaves briefly so they remain vibrant and textured rather than becoming soft and watery.

PLEASE NOTE

Allergen Information

Contains fish from stockfish and smoked or dried fish. Contains shellfish from ground crayfish. Fermented locust beans are legumes. Check the ingredients of any seasoning cubes used. Prepared in a kitchen where other allergens may be present.

FROM THE CAMASI MAISON PANTRY