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1
Season and Steam the Chicken
15 Mins
Medium heat, simmering at about 100°C (212°F)
Put the chicken pieces in a large pot with the crumbled stock cube, half the salt and the sliced onion. Cover and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes, letting the chicken steam in its own juices. Do not add water yet — this first steaming builds the stock the whole soup depends on.
Stir once halfway through so the pieces on top get their turn at the bottom of the pot.
Done when: Chicken releasing its own juices, pot steaming, onion softened.
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2
Blend the Tomato Base
5 Mins
No heat — blender
While the chicken steams, blend the tomatoes, the chopped onion, Scotch bonnet, ginger and garlic with a splash of water until completely smooth. This blended base is the whole soup: there is no palm oil, no groundnut paste and no thickener, so the blend has to be silky.
If your blender struggles, add water a spoonful at a time rather than all at once.
Done when: A smooth, bright red liquid with no visible chunks.
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3
Pour In the Base and Thin the Soup
5 Mins
Medium heat, about 100°C (212°F)
Pour the blended base over the steamed chicken, stir in the tomato paste and add the 1.2 litres of water. Stir well and bring back to a gentle boil. The soup should look thin and brothy, like a clear red broth — if it coats the spoon like a stew, add another cup of water.
This is the moment to fix the texture: light soup is judged by how thin it is, so be generous with the water.
Done when: Thin red broth at a gentle boil, chicken pieces visible through it.
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4
Simmer Gently Until Tender
30 Mins
Low heat, gentle simmer at about 95°C (203°F)
Turn the heat down, leave the lid slightly ajar and simmer for 30 minutes, until the chicken is tender enough to pull from the bone and the raw tomato taste has cooked away. Skim off any foam or oil that rises. The broth should stay thin and clear, never thick.
Do not boil hard: a rolling boil clouds the broth and toughens the chicken.
Done when: Chicken tender to the fork, broth thin, clear and bright red.
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5
Add Garden Eggs, Taste and Finish
5 Mins
Low heat, simmering at about 95°C (203°F)
Add the quartered garden eggs and simmer for 5 minutes until just soft. Taste the broth and add the rest of the salt a pinch at a time. Check the thickest piece of chicken reaches 74°C (165°F) inside, then take the pot off the heat.
Garden eggs go soft fast, so do not leave them in longer than 5 minutes or they fall apart.
Done when: Garden eggs soft but holding their shape, broth well seasoned, chicken at 74°C (165°F).
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Ladle the thin broth generously over the chicken pieces into deep bowls, making sure each bowl gets plenty of the clear red soup, and serve steaming hot with a ball of fufu on the side for dipping.
Ghana
1h 40m
