Senegalese okra stew with fish and beef (Soupou kandja)

1. Cut the beef into 2 cm cubes and simmer, covered, with the water, one diced onion and the salt for 50 minutes.

2. Trim the okra, slice half of it thinly and chop the other half coarsely in a food processor (this thickens the soup).

3. In another pan heat the palm oil, fry the other onion and the crushed garlic, then add all the okra and fry, stirring, for 5 minutes.

4. Pour the meat and its cooking liquid over the okra, add the cleaned pieces of dried fish and the whole chilli and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes, stirring now and then.

5. Add the fish fillet cut into 4 cm pieces, season with pepper and cook for another 10 minutes until the fish is done.

6. Remove the chilli and serve the thick, slightly stretchy stew over white rice.

Tip: Soupou kandja (okra soup) is one of Senegal's oldest dishes, a thick, slightly stretchy sauce ladled over rice. The slimy texture of okra is welcome here, it gives the stew its body. Use sunflower oil with 1 tsp smoked paprika instead of palm oil and habanero instead of scotch bonnet.