Smothered Okra

Okra is a much maligned vegetable outside of the Southeastern US. My first experience with it as a kid was in gumbos and various other creole and cajun foods. It is a quintessential ingredient in gumbos, of course, because traditionally gumbo is a soup or stew that is thickened with okra and dates back to well before the Louisiana Purchase. Many modern versions of gumbo can (and do) still use okra, but often list it as optional and using roux or filé (sassafras) as a thickener, but okra always has a home in any gumbo recipe and this version ensures it isn't sticky or slimy.

This prep is an all day affair and don't do what I did initially thinking, oh my stove can go down to almost off and won't need as much stirring, because it most definitely will. This recipe requires stirring every 20 minutes. It's an easy cadence and only requires a few stirs, maybe adding a little water to scrape bits off the bottom of the pan, and putting the lid back on tightly for another 20 minutes. Do what we do, get a lot of okra and do this on a Saturday or Sunday when you plan to either do chores around the house or stream and binge-watch something good. By the time it's done, you'll have plenty to use and freeze for future use as it keeps indefinitely in the freezer making gumbo prep one step simpler.

As always, from our table to yours... #SpiceConfidently #EssenceOfFlavor #ChemistryInTheKitchen #CasaMSpice

— Mike Hernandez