Palmnut Soup - Abenkwan

Ingredients:

2 giant crabs, cooked whole in salted water, drained, and cut in half

1/2 cup cold water

2 pounds (1 kg) lean lamb shanks or chops, or shoulder of beef, cut into chunks

1 salted pig's foot, jointed and cleaned, optional

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 large yellow onions, minced

3 large tomatoes, blanched peeled, and pureed

1-1/2 pounds (750 g) palmnut pulp

1 cup boiling water

2 to 3 fresh red chile peppers, ground, or 2 whole habanero chiles, optional

4 large mushrooms, cleaned

2 pounds (1 kg) fish fillets or cutlets, smoked, grilled, deep-fried or sundried

Potato dumplings

Cooking Instructions:

Remove the stomach flaps on the underside of the crabs and then cut them in half, from top to bottom. Place the water, the meat, and the pig's foot in a very large, heavy-based pan (not a crackpot, becuase the initial cooking process requires fairly high heat, which a crockpot does not provide). Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the onions and cook "dry" on high heat, stirring continuously, until the outside of the meat is sealed and browned on all sides. Add the tomatoes, reduce heat, and continue to simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. In a large bowl, combine the palmnut pulp with the boiling water, beating with a wooden spoon to form a creamy, smooth consistency. Add this to the meat mixture, as well as the ground chiles, mushrooms, and crabs. Simmer on medium heat for 40 minutes to 1 hour, stirring only occasionally to keep food from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Prepare your choice of fish by removing any residual bones. Add the fish to the soup, either whole or in chunks, during the last 20 minutes of cooking to prevent the fish from breaking up too much and becoming mushy. Once you add all the ingredients, continue to simmer slowly until the meat is tender. Serve hot with the dumplings.

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