Soups & Stews

Ofe Owerri

Name: Ofe Owerri
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 110 min
Total time: 145 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Nigerian
Ingredients: 600 g stewing beef (cubed); 150 g ready-softened stockfish (Deboned, drained weight. Buy ready-softened or prepare ahead according to the product instructions; variable advance softening time is excluded from this recipe timing.); 200 g smoked fish (deboned); 300 g cocoyam corms (peeled weight; culinary taro); 50 g okazi leaves (finely shredded); 200 g ugu leaves (washed and chopped); 100 ml red palm oil; 30 g ground dried crayfish; 1 whole Scotch bonnet pepper (chopped); 5 g prepared ogiri (optional); 1 small stock cube; 1800 ml water (includes 500 ml for cocoyam); 0.75 tsp salt

A cocoyam-thickened soup with beef, dried fish, stockfish, okazi and ugu. Ofe Owerri is known for bringing several meats or fish into one substantial soup. Flo Chinyere discusses the song that links the dish with wealth, but also encourages cooks to buy the quantities they can afford. That makes a better guide than turning abundance into a rigid rule. Cocoyam binds the broth, while okazi and ugu contribute different textures. This formulation uses beef and two dried-fish preparations, preserving the layered character without presenting one expensive assortment as the only legitimate way to cook it. Cultural context: Associated specifically with Owerri cooking. NICO’s Ote Owerri is treated as a likely transcription of the independently verified Ofe Owerri.

35 minPreparation

110 minCooking

6Servings

What you’ll need

6 servings

Let’s get cooking

1
Simmer beef and softened stockfish in 1 litre water with stock cube and half the salt for 55–75 minutes, until tender; top up as needed.
2
In a separate pot, cover cocoyam with about 500 ml water. Boil 25–35 minutes, until fully soft. Drain and pound or mash smooth; do not taste raw or undercooked cocoyam.
3
Add smoked fish, pepper, crayfish, palm oil and optional ogiri to the meat. Adjust with the remaining water to make a pourable broth, then simmer 5 minutes.
4
Add the mashed cocoyam in small portions. Simmer for 10–15 minutes, stirring carefully, until it dissolves into a smooth, lightly thickened soup.
5
Add okazi and cook 5 minutes, then ugu for a further 3 minutes. Adjust salt and water: the soup should remain spoonable. Serve hot with akpu or pounded yam prepared separately.

A little kitchen wisdom

Cut okazi very finely; its texture is firmer than ugu. Snails and cow skin appear in other documented versions, but are not compulsory in this formulation. Start with ready-softened stockfish. If yours is sold dry, arrange the product-specific preparation in advance; the stated time starts after that step. Timing estimate: active preparation 35 min; cooking 110 min; additional passive time 0 min; conservative planning allowance 145 min. Some stages may overlap. Recipe status: Research formulation; not kitchen-tested. Allergen checks: Fish; Crustaceans; Check stock cube and fermented-seasoning labels

Recipe notes & sources

Research formulation; not kitchen-tested

Also known as: Ofe Owere, Owerri soup

Associated specifically with Owerri cooking. NICO’s Ote Owerri is treated as a likely transcription of the independently verified Ofe Owerri.

Allergens: Fish, Crustaceans, Check stock cube and fermented-seasoning labels

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Soups & Stews

Ofe Owerri

35 minPreparation

110 minCooking

6Servings

What you’ll need

6 servings

Let’s get cooking

1
Simmer beef and softened stockfish in 1 litre water with stock cube and half the salt for 55–75 minutes, until tender; top up as needed.
2
In a separate pot, cover cocoyam with about 500 ml water. Boil 25–35 minutes, until fully soft. Drain and pound or mash smooth; do not taste raw or undercooked cocoyam.
3
Add smoked fish, pepper, crayfish, palm oil and optional ogiri to the meat. Adjust with the remaining water to make a pourable broth, then simmer 5 minutes.
4
Add the mashed cocoyam in small portions. Simmer for 10–15 minutes, stirring carefully, until it dissolves into a smooth, lightly thickened soup.
5
Add okazi and cook 5 minutes, then ugu for a further 3 minutes. Adjust salt and water: the soup should remain spoonable. Serve hot with akpu or pounded yam prepared separately.