GARDEN EGG SAUCE +FIRST EVER YOUTUBE LIVE VIDEO!

Last Saturday, we did something we have never done before. We went LIVE on YouTube. We have heard so much about trying new things. So we took our chances and cooked garden egg sauce live.

A while back, we were notified by YouTube that we could go live on the app. But we never used that feature though we hoped to someday. Saturday seemed like the perfect day for us to go live because:

1. We had not published a video on Friday. So we thought it would be great to compensate for that with something exciting on Saturday.

2. A live video made things wayyyyy easier for us. We didn’t have to sit and edit afterwards as we typically do with our regular YouTube videos. Was we once done recording, the video was available for all to see. Win!

3. It is always great to try something new. You never know what might work.

So we placed a phone on a selfie stick and Mr. N recorded while we stood in front of the camera.

We had already told myself if no one watches, we would just record and leave it there for our viewers to see later. We were wrong, you guys. More people than we had expected joined the video and at the end of recording, we had close to 200 views already. This might not sound like a great number but to us it was huge for something done with such notice. Next time, we'll do well to announce our live video days ahead so our lovely viewers don’t miss it. A lot of people who came online after the video ended were so sad that they missed it.

So what did we make? We made garden egg sauce! In our very first vlog in which you can see us shopping at the farmer’s market, we bought some garden eggs. Many of you wanted to know how we cook those garden eggs so we thought it will be perfect to share that live.

Garden eggs belong to the same family as egg plant also known as aubergine. They are either green or yellow on the outside. In some African countries like Nigeria, Cameroon and Ghana, they are cooked into a satisfying stew. You guys we NEVER liked garden egg sauce while growing up. Because it was always too bitter and just bleh. It was one of those meals we considered ‘punishment food’.

But when we started making ours, we made sure we used a lot tomatoes and crayfish. The result is a sauce that is actually very tasty. A sauce that we can actually eat and enjoy.

Garden egg sauce served with boiled African sweet potatoes.

Mr. N also hated garden egg but after tasting our version, he repented. He even testifies about it in the video.

Talking about Mr. N, we couldn’t have done this live video without him. He was so supportive and even moved the camera to ensure that you can see right into the pot. He also took pics of us while we were presenting (the pictures above). So grateful for him.

There’s a garden egg recipe here on the blog with step by step photos. Now let’s take a look at the how-to video and printable recipe.

Watch our very first YouTube LIVE video – How to make garden egg sauce:

Fun fact: Anchovies, the fish popularly used to make Garden Egg Sauce in Cameroon is locally called “njanja moto” in the country. What a name!

• Yield: 6
• Prep: 15 minutes
• Cook: 30 minutes
• Total: 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 20 garden eggs
• 5 large tomatoes - chopped
• 1/4 cup ground crayfish
• 1/2 cup dried anchovies (substitute with other dried fish of choice)
• 1 cup dried shrimp (substitute with other dried fish of choice)
• 1 large Maggi Crevette (crayfish seasoning cube), substitute with bouillon powder
• 1 habanero (hot) pepper - optional
• 1 small onion - chopped
• 3/4 cup oil (we mixed red palm oil (1/4 cup) and soybean oil (1/2 cup). You could use just red palm oil or just vegetable oil
• Salt to taste

Method

1. Wash garden eggs thoroughly and place in a pot. Add water to the same level as the garden eggs. Boil until they are soft and squishy.
2. Drain the garden eggs from the boiling water then rinse with cold water to help cool down quickly.
3. Once they are cold, peel each garden egg to remove the outer skin. Place in a bowl and mash lightly with a wooden spoon or place on a chopping board and cut into about 1-inch bits. (Cut them bigger if you prefer a chunkier sauce).
4. Place oil in a pot to heat up on high heat. Add onions and saute for two minutes.
5. Add tomatoes and cook until acidity is all done, stirring from time to time. (About 10 minutes)
6. Add in crayfish and stir. Let it sizzle with the tomatoes for about 2 minutes.
7. Add in the pepper (if using) anchovies and dried shrimp (remember you could substitute these with any dried/smoked fish of choice). Let them cook for about 3 minutes in the tomato sauce.
8. Note: If you notice your sauce is too dry at this point, add in a little water to loosen it up.
9. Add in Maggi crayfish seasoning cube and salt to taste and stir well. Finally add in the mashed/chopped garden eggs. Stir well to incorporate. Let them sizzle together for about 4 minutes then turn off the heat.
10. Enjoy warm with boiled plantains, boiled African yam, or boiled potatoes.