Abak Atama Soup

Description
This rich-palm nut soup is highly spiced and flavoured with aromatic atama leaves. Atama is a spicy, aromatic leaf that can be used dried or fresh; the dried leaves are a lot more pungent in flavour. It serves 4-6.

Ingredients

 * 1 kg / 2 lb assorted meats (beef oxtail, tripe, ponmo, bokoto and bushmeat)
 * 450 g / 1 lb stockfish (pre-soaked)
 * 1 medium dried fish (washed and flaked)
 * 225 g / 8 oz atama leaves (washed and shredded)
 * 225 g / 8 oz periwinkles (topped and tailed)
 * 225 g / 8 oz ground chillies
 * 225 g / 8 oz ground crayfish
 * 1 liter / 2 pints palmnut concentrate
 * salt to taste

Directions

 * 1) Wash the meat thoroughly and place in a large pot. Season with salt and ground chillies. Add some stock and cook for 30 minutes.
 * 2) Meanwhile, wash the oil-palm and cook until soft to make the concentrate.
 * 3) Add the washed smoked fish and stockfish to the pot of boiling meats and cook for 10 minutes.
 * 4) Add the palm oil concentrate and atama leaves, bring to the boil and cook till slightly reduced and soup coats the back of a spoon.
 * 5) Stir in the crayfish and periwinkles, cook for 15 minutes until well blended, check seasoning and serve with pounded yam.