Baru Fida (Spinach Sauce with Peanuts and Beef Shank)

Ingredients:

2kg fresh spinach
450g peanut paste
1.5kg beef shank
300g smoked fish (traditionally bonga [smoked carp], but smoked mackerel will do)
100g dried and ground prawns
2 onions, chopped
1 Maggi cube
40g powdered okra
1 hot chilli pepper (a large Scotch bonnet typically), chopped
250ml red palm oil
salt, to taste

Method:

Mix the peanut butter and 500ml warm water to a smooth paste. Pour into a large pot and mix in 2l more warm water. Bring to a boil then cut the beef into bite-sized pieces and season with salt. Bring to a boil and cook until the oil separates from the peanut paste. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 45 minutes, or until the meat is tender.

In the meantime, skin the fish and flake the flesh from the bones (discard the bones). Place in a mortar and pound with the onions, chilli, powdered okra and Maggi cube.

Stir this mixture into the pot, bring back to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. In the meantime, wash the spinach under cold, running, water. Bring a pot of water to a boil, add the spinach and cook for 10 minutes. Drain in a colander then mash the spinach to a paste in a mortar. Stir the spinach paste into the sauce and bring back to a boil.

Reduce to a simmer, then cover and cook gently for 60 minutes more. Add the palm oil and cook, stirring constantly, for 10 minutes more.

Serve hot, accompanied by maize porridge (pap) or rice.