The Nigerian Pantry Staple That Belongs In Your Beef Stew

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Preparing an old-fashioned beef stew recipe is simple and fulfilling, offering opportunities to include unique ingredients to amplify the flavor. That's exactly what Tasting Table chatted about with chef Ayo Balogun of Dept of Culture Brooklyn at the New York City Wine & Food Fest, where he hosted a tasting menu from North Central Nigeria. Balogun shared his expert advice along with one of the pantry staple ingredient he leans on to make a memorable beef stew: Nigerian fish powder.

Per Balogun, "In Nigeria, we don't cook with wine — we do if you're a rich person. If you're a rich person, yeah, you'll probably cook with wine. But for me? Fish powder." Similar to the array of fish sauces around the world, Nigerian fish powder provides a punch of unforgettable umami flavor. Balogun explains the powder is typically made from crayfish and fermented locust beans. "Those two things work well, even in beef," he said. 

Albeit an unexpected addition to a beef stew, Nigerian fish powder is just one example of African seasonings to spice up your next dish. Of other flavors to include in your beef stew, Balogun also explains that "Nigerian curry powder, the old-school one" is another seasoning to keep in mind. Though Nigerian fish powder is not a common pantry staple in the U.S., seeking it out at an international grocery store or African market would be well worthwhile.

"I shouldn't say that [give away my secret] — I should be the only one using it," joked chef Ayo Balogun. Now that the secret is out, however, it's time to find or make your own version of the Nigerian seasoning to level up your next batch of beef stew. For one, you can order a sealed bag of MBARIKET Nigerian Crayfish Powder online or check your local international market for something similar. If possible, ask someone working at the market about the differences among brands to get their recommendation.

If you'd prefer to go the homemade route, you can utilize a powerful blender and a batch of dried fish to prepare your own seasoning inspired by Nigerian fish powder. Per Balogun's advice, start with the pairing of fermented locust beans and dried crayfish and blend them into a fine powder. Then, store them in an airtight container in your pantry similar to how you'd store Japanese furikake seasoning or any other dried fish powder. Other variations of this recipe include stockfish and bonga fish in addition to other spices and seasonings.

Of people's potential reaction to your upgraded beef stew, Balogun told Tasting Table that, "You put it in anything, it brings a different sensibility of umami that you're not planning for. And everybody's like, 'What's going on here?'" For first time use, start slow and taste as you go — just a teaspoon or two will be enough. You'll be pleasantly surprised by the dimension of flavors this brings to your beef stew.