About the Recipe
A memorable dish a many Creole tables. Stewed Okra and Tomatoes.
Ingredients
2-pounds of fresh Okra (or Frozen Okra)
Optional: 1 pound of medium Gulf shrimp, cleaned and deveined and or Andouille Sausage, sliced and cooked.
1 medium onion, small diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 can of petite diced tomatoes
1 jalapeno pepper, minced
1 T. of prepared Brown Roux (or one pkg. of prepared Roux)
1 cup of vegetable or chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1 T. Créole Seasoning
1 tsp. Garlic Powder
Bacon fat or Olive oil
Salt & Pepper to taste
Preparation
Wash fresh okra and wipe off with damp paper towels. Tip: this reduces the prickly fibers on the surface that can make your skin itch.)
Cut the tops off the okra pods, then make a cross-sectional cut before slicing. (Leaving the tip intact gives you more control while cutting) If your pods are smaller, you can thinly slice them.
Coat the bottom of a large cast-iron skillet or nonstick pan with olive oil (about 2 T.)
Sauté onions on medium heat until tender, add cleaned, cut okra to skillet. Stirring constantly, cook for about 20 min. (When using frozen okra, it can be very slimy. Add about 1 T. of white wine vinegar to reduce the slimy texture)
Add in 1 can of petite diced tomatoes. Next, add in 1 T. of prepared brown Roux (or evenly sprinkle in 1 package of brown gravy mix)
Pour in 1 cup of vegetable or chicken broth. Stir all ingredients until well mixed. Optional: Add in cleaned and deveined shrimp and cooked sausage at this point
Reduce heat to simmer, add in 1 bay leaf, cover, and cook for an additional 10-15 min. Serve over hot fluffy white or brown rice!