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Stewed Okra and Tomatoes

Source of Recipe

From "My New Orleans: The Cookbook" by John Besh


Recipe Introduction

"I love to find the smaller, greener okra and leave them whole. Just trim the stem end off; that way they're more tender and a bit less stringy. If you've got larger okra, slice them in rounds. Cooking the okra and tomatoes separately and combining them at the end allows the best flavors of each to come through."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 6 large handfuls fresh small okra
â—¦ 2 tablespoons baking soda
â—¦ Salt
â—¦ ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
â—¦ 6 large tomatoes, peeled and diced
â—¦ 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
â—¦ 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
â—¦ 1 teaspoon sugar
â—¦ Leaves from 1 sprig fresh oregano, chopped
â—¦ Leaves from 1 sprig fresh basil, chopped
â—¦ Freshly ground black pepper
â—¦ Hot cooked white rice


Recipe

Bring a gallon of water to a boil in a large pot. Add the okra, baking soda, and 2 tablespoons salt. Cook the okra at a hard boil for 5 minutes. Strain the okra and plunge it into a large bowl of ice water. Once it's cool, drain the okra and set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat until warm, then add the tomatoes and garlic and cook for several minutes. Add the pepper flakes and sugar and cook for 10 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the oregano, basil, and okra, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook for an additional 3 to 4 minutes.

Season the stew with salt and pepper.
Serve with hot rice.

Serves 6