Thursday, July 21, 2011

Carolina Foodways: Okra Gumbo

OKRA  GUMBO

2 tbl corn oil (or other cooking oil without a strong flavor)
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 cup chicken stock (or from bouillon cubes)
4 large tomatoes, peeled and chopped (or use 1 can crushed tomatoes)
½ lb sliced okra (I have to use canned because okra is scarce in Sweden!)
2 or 3 cloves garlic, sliced
2 good shakes Worchestershire sauce
1-2 bay leaves
pinch of cayenne pepper
salt and black pepper to taste

Saute the vegetables in the corn oil until soft (about 3 minutes) and then add the chicken stock, okra, seasonings and tomatoes. Lower the heat and simmer with the lid askew.  Serve with long-grain rice.

*** I usually add chopped chicken meat to the stew while it is simmering. This is a good way to use left-over  chicken but you can use seafood or fish instead. Or you can use vegetable broth and leave-out the meat for a vegetarian version. Sharwood makes a Worcestershire sauce that does NOT include fish. ***

And look what they are eating in Ghana: 
Light Okra Soup with Chicken

And for more information buy, beg or borrow In the Shadow of Slavery: Africa’s Botanical Legacy in the Atlantic World by Judith Carney and Richard Nicholas Rosomoff

1 comment:

  1. Awesome! I do love me some gumbo. Gonna try this. :-)

    ReplyDelete