Spear Grass and Cod Rice

Jollof rice, Fried rice…what will we do without these dishes at parties or even family meal times. To think that not too long ago rice was appearing on Nigerian menu for special occasions only. Today we cannot seem to go for a week without having rice on the menu.
Today I bring you a rice dish inspired by Afrolems, my daughter’s blog. She called hers’ bush rice and I call mine Spear Grass & Cod Rice.
The special flavor of stock fish is the main characteristic of this rice dish and this is where the cod in the name of the dish comes from. Dried unsalted cod fish is what we know as Stockfish in Nigeria.
Growing up stock fish was sold as the whole fish(cod) as it is called. Because Stockfish is imported it continues to be an expensive protein item in the dish.If you cannot afford the whole fish, you now have the option of the head, tail, jaws etc. Sometimes we mix the head plus the chunks of cod ,reserving the chucks for visitors or adults in the house whilst the ‘lesser mortals’are left to have pieces of the head.
I also used achara (Spear Grass vegetable )which is one of the vegetables that is used only in Achara soup of the Umuahia people of Abia state in Nigeria.

The English name I have found for Achara is Spear Grass vegetable. I believe that asparagus could be used in place of Achara.
With aroma of Stockfish and onion coming out of your kitchen your family and neighbors might swarm the kitchen before the rice is ready.
Enjoy!

Recipe ( serves 4 )
Ingredient
2cups Rice
4 pieces Stockfish
1/2 cup smoked Shrimps(dressed)
4 fresh Tomatoes ( chopped)
3 pieces fresh Pepper(chopped)
1medium size Onion( chopped)
1 cooking spoon vegetable Oil
2 chicken seasoning cubes
Handful Achara ( dressed)
Salt to taste

Method
1,Wash the rice and set aside
2, Put water to boil, and add fish, shrimp, tomato,pepper,onion, seasoning and oil.

3, Add the rice and cook till soft. You may need to continue to add some more water depending on type of rice
4, Allow water to dry but not completely. Add the Achara and cook for just 5 minutes .
5, Serve hot with additional stir fried vegetable if needed.