Cooks' Corner

                                   
                       How To Make Nigeria Concoction Rice
Ingredients
2 cigar cups | 500g (1.1 lbs) long grain parboiled white rice
2 cooking spoons red palm oil
1 big piece of stockfish
1 medium smoked Mackerel/Titus
1 big onion
3 tablespoons ground crayfish
2 big stock cubes
1 small iru (locust beans)
Pepper and salt (to taste)
Vegetable: choice of Scent leaves, curry leaves or parsley

 

Before you cook Concoction Rice
Soak the dry fish and stock fish in cold or hot water and when soft, clean and separate them into small pieces.
Parboil the rice using the method detailed in parboiling rice for cooking jollof rice. Cool the parboiled rice with cold water and put in a sieve to drain.
Grind the crayfish (if not ground) with the iru using a dry mill.
Cut the onion into tiny pieces.
Pound/grind the pepper.
Pick and wash the vegetables. No need to slice it but you can do so if you wish.
Separate the smoked Mackerel into big chunks.

Cooking Directions
Put the pieces of stockfish and dry fish in a big enough pot, add the diced onions and the stock cubes. Add some water to cover the ingredients and cook till the stockfish is very soft.
Add the pepper, ground crayfish and palm oil.
Top up the water to the same level as the contents of the pot if necessary. Cover and cook at medium to high heat for about 7 minutes. This is the time the palm oil needs to fully integrate with the rest of the ingredients.
Add the drained parboiled rice, stir very well and check that the liquid is at the same level as the rice. If less, top it up with more water.
Place the smoked fish and the vegetables on top of the rice.
Cover the pot and leave to cook on low to medium heat. This way the rice does not burn before the water dries up.
If the rice is parboiled correctly, the Concoction Rice should be done by the time the water dries up. Taste to confirm. If not, you will need to add more water and reduce the heat to prevent burning. Keep cooking till done.
Once you confirm that the rice is done, turn off the heat. Add the scent leaves or parsley on top of the rice, cover and leave to stand for 5 minutes. Then stir and it is ready to be served!
Serve with Fried Plantain or Nigeria Moi Moi.