The Recipe - Nigerian Yam Porridge

As Oscar Mokeme from Oba, Nigeria, taught Lindsay Sterling in Bath, ME, December 2012


Serves 8
Cooking time: 45 min

3 pounds Nigerian yams
1/2 cup crayfish powder
1 large yellow onion minced
1 tsp ground dried chili peppers
1 can tomato paste
1/2 cup smoked fish (optional) similar to chilean sea bass
drizzle herb-infused olive oil
1 red pepper, diced
salt to taste
1 clove garlic
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp dried thyme
whole shrimp (optional)
1 can corned beef


Peel yams with a knife. Cover with 1 inch of water in a wide, deep saute pan. Boil gently for ten minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients through the thyme. Let cook until yam pieces yield to a knife blade easily through their centers. Then add whole shrimp if you like, and/or canned corned beef to thicken the sauce.