Nigerian Efo Riro with Farmers-Market Greens, Roasted Peppers and Smoked Fish

Char the bell peppers, tomatoes and hot peppers under a hot broiler or directly on a grill until blistered and blackened in patches, about 10 minutes, turning once.

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 3 large red bell peppers, stemmed and seeded
• 2 plum tomatoes, halved
• 1 to 2 red habanero or scotch bonnet peppers, stemmed
• 1 large red onion, half chunked and half sliced
• 1/3 cup red palm oil (or neutral oil)
• 2 tablespoons ground crayfish
• 1 teaspoon locust bean (iru), optional
• 1 1/2 pounds tender greens such as spinach, amaranth or chard, stemmed and chopped
• 8 ounces smoked mackerel or smoked whitefish, skin removed and flaked
• 1 cup chicken or vegetable stock
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt, or to taste
• 1 teaspoon bouillon powder
• Steamed white rice or pounded yam, for serving

Instructions

1. Char the bell peppers, tomatoes and hot peppers under a hot broiler or directly on a grill until blistered and blackened in patches, about 10 minutes, turning once.
2. Blend the charred vegetables with the chunked onion into a coarse, textured puree. Do not take it all the way to smooth.
3. Pour the puree into a wide pot and simmer briskly over medium heat, uncovered, for 15 to 20 minutes, until it darkens and thickens and the raw edge cooks off.
4. In a separate large pot, warm the palm oil over medium heat until it loosens and turns bright, then fry the sliced onion for 4 minutes until soft.
5. Stir in the ground crayfish and locust bean if using, cook for 1 minute, then add the reduced pepper base, stock, salt and bouillon. Simmer 10 minutes more.
6. Wilt the greens into the stew in handfuls, letting each batch collapse before adding the next. Cook just 4 to 5 minutes so they stay green and toothsome.
7. Fold in the flaked smoked fish, cut the heat, and let the pot sit covered for 5 minutes before tasting for salt.
8. Serve spooned generously over rice or alongside pounded yam.
9. Efo riro means, roughly, stirred greens, and every Nigerian cook has an argument about it: how much palm oil, whether the peppers get blended smooth, which greens are correct. The one point of agreement is that the pepper base must be cooked down properly, long past the point of impatience, because that reduction is where the whole dish gets its depth. Late-summer markets piled with peppers and bundled greens make this the right time of year to do it justice.

Nutrition (estimated, per serving)

• Calories: 410 kcal
• Protein: 26g
• Fat: 25g
• Carbohydrates: 20g
• Fiber: 7g
• Sugar: 10g
• Sodium: 1120mg