Fresh Fish Pepper Soup | How to Make Nigerian Point & Kill

January 15, 2020October 4, 2023 Odiraa

Fresh fish pepper soup is light yet intensely flavored peppery soup that is widely enjoyed in most West African Countries.

A delicious meal and one of the ultimate African Fish comfort food that is also very easy to prepare.

Every country has its recipe for cooking fish soup or fish broth.

The dish fame and taste qualities directly depend on the type of fish (river or sea) used to prepare it.

The main ingredient is, of course, fish.

What Is The Importance of Fish?

Fish is among the healthiest foods on the planet. It’s loaded with important nutrients, such as protein and vitamin D.

Fish is a high-protein, low-fat calorie food that provides a range of health benefits.

White-fleshed fish, in particular, are lower in fat than any other source of animal protein, and oily fish are high in omega-3 fatty acids, or the “good” fats which are incredibly important for your body and brain.

Since the human body can’t make significant amounts of these essential nutrients, fish are an important part of the diet.

Also, fish are low in the “bad” fats commonly found in red meat, called omega-6 fatty acids.

Fresh Fish Pepper Soup Recipe

Would you like to know how to cook Nigerian pepper soup with fresh fish? If you are as eager as I am, then let’s go!

Nigerian fresh fish pepper soup is a very popular dish. It can be found in almost all trendy restaurants in Nigeria.

If you want to keep yourself in shape, this dish is perfect for you.

This Nigerian soup is commonly made from catfish and takes less than thirty minutes to prepare.

Even though it is enjoyed in different parts of Nigeria, it is conspicuously popular in the Niger Delta region as a local delicacy.

Catfish pepper soup is also called ‘point and kill’.

Why Is It Called Point & Kill?

It is famously called “point and kill” because of how the catfish are bought at local markets; you select your desired live catfish in a school of fish, by pointing at it while still in water, and it is killed and prepared for you.

You point at the fish and it is killed for you!

Variations

Some people might want to add vegetable oil to the soup. It’s a matter of choice.

But remember that any amount of vegetable oil adds a certain level of calorie to the dish.

You can substitute Catfish with Conger Eel (Congrio in Spanish). Just take the part closer to the tail. Scent leaves can be replaced with parsley.

Ingredients

1 catfish (cleaned and cut into 4-6 pieces)
3 cups of water
4 Ehu or Ariwo or Calabash Nutmeg seeds
1 stock cube
One tablespoon Ground pepper soup spice (can be found at a local market)
1 tablespoon ground crayfish
One basil leaf
Salt to taste

Optional: Adding chopped onion and yellow pepper will give the dish a special flavor.

Preparation

Firstly, soak the fish in a bowl of cold water, three minutes before cooking. This is to prevent the fish from falling apart.
Secondly, roast the ehu for pepper soup. Using an old frying pan, roast the ehu seeds (stirring constantly) till you can smell it. Then, peel off the back from the seeds and grind with a dry mill.
Lastly, wash and pick the scent leaves and tear them up with your fingers into small pieces.

Instructions

Firstly, place the pieces of fish in a pot and pour water to just cover the fish, add the stock cubes and bring to the boil.
Immediately, it starts to boil add the ground ehu, pepper soup spice, ground crayfish, and scent leaves and continue cooking.
Thirdly, once the catfish is done, add salt to taste and leave to simmer for about 5 minutes.
Lastly, Nigerian Catfish Pepper Soup (Point & Kill) can be enjoyed alone as a side dish, or served as a meal, with boiled yams/plantains, and potatoes, Eko (Agidi), Agidi jollof

You can also check out other Nigerian Pepper Soup recipes, which includes; Goat Meat Pepper Soup and Pepper Sauce

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