Snacks

5 recipes

Akara

Dried black-eyed beans soak briefly to loosen the skins; the skins rub off (this is the key step, skin-on akara is bitter and grey). The peeled beans go into a blender with onion, Scotch bonnet and just enough water to make a thick batter (not a paste). The batter is whipped by hand or with a wooden spoon for 5 minutes until light and aerated, this is what makes akara fluffy rather than dense. Spoonfuls drop into 175°C oil and fry for 3-4 minutes per side until golden. Drained on paper. Eaten hot.

1 hour 10 minutes Serves4

Asun (Spicy Smoky Goat Meat)

Goat meat (bone-in pieces, ideally) simmers in water with onion, garlic, bay, salt and bouillon till tender (45 min). Lifts out; pats dry; grills over high heat (or under a hot grill / on a griddle pan) till charred (8-10 min). Pepper base: scotch bonnet, red pepper, onion, garlic blitz to paste; sautés in oil with curry powder, thyme, ginger till fragrant. Charred meat tosses in the pepper paste; cooks for 5 minutes more; tops with fresh chopped onion. Eats hot.

1 hour 35 minutes Serves4

Fish Roll

Dough: flour, butter, sugar, salt, baking powder, egg, milk, mixes to a smooth firm dough. Rests for 30 min. Filling: tinned sardines mash with sautéed onion, chilli, curry powder, thyme, salt. Dough divides; each portion rolls to a 12 cm circle; filling pipes or spoons in a line down the centre; dough rolls around the filling into a cigar; ends pinch sealed. Deep-fries for 5 minutes at 170°C till deep gold.

1 hour 25 minutes Serves12

Kpekere (Plantain Chips)

Green plantains peel, the trick is scoring lengthways down the ridges and then prying the skin off in strips (very different from a banana). The peeled plantain slices on a mandoline or with a sharp knife into 2 mm rounds. Fries in hot oil (180°C) 2-3 minutes till deep gold and crisp. Drains; salts while hot. Optional: tosses with chilli powder.

30 minutes Serves4

Nigerian Meat Pie

A short pastry of plain flour, butter, margarine (the mix gives Nigerian pies their distinctive texture, flakier than all-butter, sturdier than all-margarine), a pinch of baking powder, salt and cold water is made and rested. The filling: minced beef browned with onion, garlic, curry powder, thyme and a stock cube, then a small dice of carrot and potato added and cooked through with a splash of stock and a touch of cornflour to give a thick gravy. Pastry rolls out 4 mm thick, cuts into 15 cm rounds; filling goes on half; egg-wash glues; crimp; egg-wash on top. Bake at 200°C 30-35 minutes until deep gold.

1 hour 45 minutes Serves6