Turn it this way, turn it that way: You'll have a hard time making edikaikon look as good as it tastes.
Edikaikon (many spellings tack on a "g" to the end of the name) is a Nigerian dish that combines mixed meats and leafy greens. I'm reasonably confident that the proteins came from cow and goat, both of them merely chewy rather than overly tough; at least two small marrow bones offered up their bounty. In the U.S., spinach sometimes stands in for all the locally grown greens that might otherwise be included, but I didn't pin down those details. The flavor of stockfish — "pronounced, almost gamy," in the words of Harold McGee — was evident throughout, as was the bite of red pepper.
Also shown: the included wad of eba, a starch made from mildly fermented cassava, sour but not devastatingly so; a glass of Ultimalt ($3). This is a teetotaler's brew, but, unlike most West African restaurants, Festac also keeps a full bar.
Festac Grill
263 Hendrix St. (Atlantic-Liberty Aves.), East New York, Brooklyn
347-425-9010
