The Flygerians Cookbook: Over 70 recipes for Nigerian food that will speak to your soul & warm your heart by Jess Edun.
Recipes for delicious home-cooked food from Nigerian sisters The Flygerians, leading personalities in the fast-emerging and popular West African food scene.
“Street food with a touch of magic—The Flygerians deserve to soar high”—Jimi Famurewa, award-winning food critic, The Evening Standard, London
Meet two inseparable sisters, Jo and Jess Edun, who are bringing the sweet taste of Nigeria to the UK food scene. Inspired by their Grandma’s joyful cooking, they are keeping her legacy alive in their restaurant and pop-up residencies. Local heroes themselves, these siblings are striving to make a positive impact through food and the social connections it can create. They believe great food should bring speak to your soul and warm the heart. Visit and as well as Supermalt wings, smokey jollof, pounded yam and rum punch, customers can expect good vibes, care of the Afrobeats soundtrack and hang out with diners who insist it is the best Nigerian food outside of the homeland.
This, their first book delivers recipes for home-cooked dishes for anyone who loves to eat and wants to experience the uniquely delicious tastes and textures that West African food brings to the table.
The Flygerians Cookbook: Over 70 recipes for Nigerian food that will speak to your soul & warm your heart by Jess Edun
Nigerian Beef ‘Meat’ Pies
If there is no meat pie, don’t invite us ooooooh! This street food staple is one of our family favourites. There is nothing more mouthwatering than the buttery pastry that falls apart with every bite. Walking through the streets of Lagos you are never far away from a bringer of joy – a meat pie seller.
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 white onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed/minced
300 g/10½ oz. minced/ground beef
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
2 tablespoons Jumbo chicken stock powder
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon mild curry powder
2 dried bay leaves
1 large potato, diced into small cubes and boiled
1 carrot, diced
1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)
PASTRY
500 g/3¾ cups plain/all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
1 teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon salt
250 g/2¼ sticks cold butter (or margarine), cubed
500 ml/2 cups cold water (you might not need all of it)
10–12.5-cm/4–5-inch round cookie cutter
baking sheet lined with baking parchment
Makes 6–8 Pies
FIRST, MAKE THE PASTRY
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4.
Mix the flour, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the cold cubed butter and, using your hands, gently rub it into the flour mixture until it resembles large breadcrumbs. Rub your hands together to remove the clumped mixture stuck to your fingers.
A little at a time, slowly add cold water with one hand, and mix with the other until the dough comes together. Be careful not to over knead the dough and don’t add too much water. Once it forms a ball, cover the bowl with cling film/plastic wrap and pop it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes while you prepare the filling.
SORT THAT FILLING OUT
Set a frying pan/skillet over a medium heat and once hot, add the vegetable oil, then the onion and garlic. Sauté until soft. Add the beef, garlic powder, paprika, chicken stock powder, thyme, curry powder and bay leaves. Cook for 15–20 minutes until the meat browns, breaking it up with a spoon as it cooks. Slowly stir in the potato and carrot. Cover the pan and cook for 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, remove and discard the bay leaves and leave the filling to cool.
FORM THE PIES
Dust a clean surface with flour and roll out the chilled pastry to 5 mm/ 1⁄4 inch thick. Use the cookie cutter to cut out 6–8 circles of dough.
Place 11⁄2 tablespoons of the meat filling onto one half of each dough circle, leaving a gap around the edges. Add a drop of water to your finger and rub it round the sides of the unfilled pastry. Fold the dough over the filling to create a half-moon shape and use a fork to crimp the edges to seal tightly.
Place the assembled meat pies on the lined baking sheet. Brush the tops with beaten egg for a golden finish. Bake in the preheated oven for 25–30 minutes, or until the meat pies are golden brown and cooked through. Leave to cool slightly before serving.
Recipe reprinted with permission from Ryland Peters & Small.