Plasas (Cassava Leaf Stew)

Ingredients

• 500g frozen pounded (ground) cassava leaves — not whole leaves
• 400g beef chuck, cubed (and/or cowfoot or pigfoot, pre-boiled)
• 200g smoked fish (mackerel or catfish), soaked, deboned and flaked
• 100g dried/smoked shrimp, ground
• 3/4 cup (175ml) red palm oil
• 1/2 cup smooth unsweetened peanut butter (groundnut paste)
• 1–2 tbsp ogiri (fermented locust bean paste) — essential
• 2 large onions (1 for blending, 1 chopped)
• 4 garlic cloves
• 3–4 scotch bonnet peppers
• 1 tbsp tomato paste (optional, for colour)
• 2 Maggi cubes, salt to taste
• 1–1.5 litres water or stock
• Steamed white rice, to serve

Method

1. 1

   Soak smoked fish in hot water 20 minutes; drain, debone and flake. Cover beef (and cowfoot if using) with 1 litre water and simmer 45–60 minutes until tender; reserve the smoky broth.

2. 2

   In a blender, combine 1 onion, garlic, scotch bonnets, ogiri, ground dried shrimp and tomato paste with a splash of broth. Blend to a thick smooth paste — this is the flavour engine.

3. 3

   In a heavy pot, heat palm oil until fluid. Add the blended paste and fry, stirring constantly, 8–10 minutes until it darkens from bright red to brick red and the oil starts to separate. Do not skip this step.

4. 4

   Whisk the peanut butter with 100ml warm broth until pourable. Return the meat to the pot, then add flaked smoked fish, the peanut mixture and the pounded cassava leaves. Stir in remaining broth — the mix will be very thick.

5. 5

   Cover and simmer on the lowest heat 1.5–2 hours, stirring every 15–20 minutes so it doesn't scorch. The leaves should turn very dark green, almost black, and velvety.

6. 6

   Stir in the remaining chopped onion and Maggi; taste for salt and heat. Cook 10 more minutes until red palm oil clearly floats on the surface — the Sierra Leonean signal that plasas is ready. Serve generously over white rice.