Moi Moi with Egg and Fish
Steamed black-eyed pea pudding studded with hard-boiled egg and smoked fish, a beloved Nigerian comfort food. Savory, protein-rich, and naturally gluten-free.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Servings
- 6
- Calories
- 245
- Protein
- 18g
Ingredients
- 2 cups Dried black-eyed peas
- ½ lb Smoked mackerel or smoked catfish, skinned and flaked
- 4 whole Large eggs
- 1 whole Medium yellow onion, roughly chopped
- 1 whole Red bell pepper, roughly chopped
- 1 whole Scotch bonnet pepper (optional, for heat)
- 2 tablespoons Ground crayfish or shrimp paste
Instructions
- 1
Place the black-eyed peas in a large bowl and cover with cold water by 3 inches; let soak overnight or at least 6 hours, until softened and skin easily rubs off.
- 2
Drain the soaked peas in a colander and rinse under cold running water, rubbing them gently between your palms to remove as many skins as possible; discard skins that float away.
- 3
Fill a medium pot with water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat; add the peeled peas and boil for 8–10 minutes until just tender but still holding their shape.
- 4
Drain the cooked peas in a colander and set aside to cool for 5 minutes.
- 5
Place 4 large eggs in a separate pot, cover with cold water by 1 inch, and bring to a boil over high heat; remove from heat, cover, and let sit for 10 minutes.
- 6
Transfer the hot eggs to an ice bath (a bowl filled with ice and water) and let cool for 3 minutes; peel under cool running water and set aside.
- 7
Roughly chop the onion into 4 pieces and the red bell pepper into 4 pieces; if using Scotch bonnet, remove the seeds and roughly chop it into 2 pieces.
- 8
Pour the cooled black-eyed peas, chopped onion, red bell pepper, Scotch bonnet (if using), and 0.75 cups water into a blender; blend on high speed for 2–3 minutes until completely smooth, like thick peanut butter.
- 9
Add the ground crayfish or shrimp paste to the blended mixture and stir with a wooden spoon for 30 seconds until evenly distributed.
- 10
Cut each hard-boiled egg lengthwise in half, then cut each half crosswise into 3 wedges, creating 6 wedge-shaped pieces per egg.
- 11
Gently fold the flaked smoked fish into the blended pea batter using a rubber spatula, taking care not to break the fish into dust.
- 12
Fill a large pot (at least 4 quarts) with 3 inches of water and place a heat-safe rack or trivet on the bottom; bring the water to a steady simmer over medium heat.
- 13
Divide the pea batter evenly among 6 heat-safe ramekins or small bowls (about 6 ounces per ramekin), filling each about halfway.
- 14
Press 3 egg wedges vertically into the batter in each ramekin, spacing them evenly and leaving the pointed tip showing above the surface.
- 15
Top each ramekin with the remaining pea batter, dividing it equally and smoothing the surface with the back of a spoon.
- 16
Carefully place the filled ramekins on the rack inside the simmering water; the water should reach about halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
- 17
Cover the pot with a lid and steam over medium heat for 25–30 minutes until the moi moi is firm to the touch on top and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- 18
Remove the pot from heat and use tongs or oven mitts to carefully lift each hot ramekin from the water and place on a clean kitchen towel.
- 19
Let the moi moi cool for 2 minutes, then run a thin knife around the inside edge of each ramekin and invert it onto a serving plate so the moi moi slides out whole.
Tools you’ll need
- Large bowl
- Colander
- Medium pot with lid
- Large pot with lid (at least 4 quarts)
- Heat-safe rack or trivet
- Blender
- Wooden spoon
- Rubber spatula
- Cutting board
- Chef's knife
- 6 heat-safe ramekins or small bowls (6-oz capacity)
- Spoon
- Tongs or oven mitts
- Toothpick
- Thin knife
- Ice bath bowl
Cook smarter
Get matched recipes for what’s in your fridge
CookSnap is a free iOS app that finds real recipes from the ingredients you already have. No more grocery-list aspirations.
