Nigerian Kpomo Sauce

1. Scrape and rinse the kpomo well, then cut it into bite-sized pieces and place in a pot with half the onion (sliced), one crumbled stock cube, a pinch of salt and the water; cover and boil for 30 to 40 minutes until the skin is tender and chewable, then drain and reserve a little of the cooking liquid.
2. Roughly chop the tomatoes, red bell pepper, one scotch bonnet, the remaining onion and the garlic, then blend to a smooth paste; pour into a small pot and simmer over medium heat for about 10 minutes to cook off the raw, watery liquid until it reduces and thickens.
3. Heat the vegetable oil in a wide pan over medium heat, add a few thin onion slices and fry for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant but not browned.
4. Pour in the reduced pepper paste and fry, stirring often, for 10 to 12 minutes until the oil begins to separate and float at the edges and the raw smell is gone.
5. Stir in the ground crayfish, the remaining crumbled stock cube and the second scotch bonnet (whole or chopped, to taste), then add the cooked kpomo and toss to coat every piece in the sauce.
6. Add a splash of the reserved cooking liquid if the sauce is too thick, cover and simmer gently for 8 to 10 minutes so the kpomo soaks up the flavour.
7. Taste and adjust the salt, then serve hot with boiled white rice, yam or plantain.

You'll use: Frying pan / skillet · Pan · Large pot · Saucepan · Blender