Shrimp and Okra Soup — Shrimp Head Stock, Palm Oil Base, West African Spice

Peel the shrimp: pull off heads and shells, reserving both. Pat the bodies dry, cover, and refrigerate. You should end up with roughly 340–360g of peeled shrimp.

Build the shrimp head stock: heat a medium pot over high heat — no oil. Add the reserved heads and shells. Press them flat and stir for 3–4 minutes until they turn pink and the pot smells sweet and toasty. Add the water, halved onion, bay leaves, and peppercorns. Bring to a boil, reduce to a steady simmer, and cook uncovered for 20 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing hard on the shells to extract every drop. You should have 700–750ml of stock. Set aside.

Trim the okra: cut off just the stem end and leave the tip intact — trimming the tip opens a second cut surface that releases more mucilage. Slice into 1cm rounds. Toss with 2 tbsp neutral oil and ½ tsp salt.

Dry-sear the okra in batches: set a wide heavy skillet over high heat until very hot. Add the oiled okra in a single layer — if crowded they steam instead of sear. Cook undisturbed for 3–4 minutes until charred in spots on the cut face, then toss and cook 1–2 minutes more. The surface should look blistered and slightly shrunken. Work in batches if needed. Alternatively, spread on a sheet pan and roast at 220°C / 430°F for 12–14 minutes until blistered. Set aside — the mucilage is now partially denatured.

In the pot you'll use for the soup, heat the palm oil over medium-low heat until it liquefies, about 1 minute. Keep the heat moderate — above 180°C / 355°F it smokes and goes bitter. Add the diced onion and bell pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 8–10 minutes until fully softened and translucent.

Add the garlic, ginger, and scotch bonnet. Stir for 1 minute. Add the chopped tomatoes. Cook over medium heat, stirring every few minutes, for 10–12 minutes until the tomato has broken down into a thick paste and red oil begins to pool and separate at the edges. This is your stew base — it should not look watery.

Add the ground crayfish, smoked paprika, and white pepper. Stir into the paste and cook for 1 minute.

Pour in the shrimp head stock and add the fish sauce. Bring to a gentle simmer. Taste: it should be deeply savory, slightly spicy, with a mild palm-oil bitterness that rounds the tomato acidity. Adjust salt.

Add the dry-seared okra. Simmer for 10 minutes — the okra releases controlled thickening into the broth while holding its shape.

Add the peeled shrimp and uziza or spinach. Cook at a bare simmer for 2–3 minutes until the shrimp are just opaque and lightly curled. Do not boil hard. Pull from the heat the moment they are done — residual heat will finish any stragglers.

Serve immediately, ladled over white rice or with pounded yam alongside. The soup thickens as it sits — if reheating, add a splash of water to loosen.