In Vegetables, author James Peterson warns us the world is divided about okra. In her similarly titled tome, Alice Waters skips the contentious veg altogether jumping from mustard greens to onions. People self-identify as okra-philes or okra-phobes at the slightest prodding.
For the haters: researchers believe texture plays a large part in food phobias and okra is frightening to those who abhor viscous foods. Often described as slimy, mucusy or less specifically as gross, the pod’s fuzzy and velvety exterior is just as troublesome to the phobic as the oozy interior that is lined with tiny seeds. Another common factor in food aversion is neophobia. Rats, both in lab and those studied in their more natural setting of urban alleys, have chosen to starve to death rather than try new foods. I imagine the same fate awaits drive-through denizens when ‘they’ take away the deep fat fryers. Okra needs to become more common in the food arena. Perhaps a good Public Relations rep, an active trade council or a few celebrity endorsers – The only food Paris Hilton puts in her mouth - might or might not help spread the popularity of the foodstuff.
To diminish the muciferous effect of Okra; choose pods no longer than 3 inches in length. As a general rule, Okra should be bright green and free of brown spots and other blemishes. The veg can be grown in the gardens of kind climates, found fresh in stores between March and October and located in frozen food section the rest of the year. For produce that suffers from texture issues, the freezing and thawing cycle removes the crunch but not the slokey/sludgy issue complainers find off-putting.
I put nearly a pound of the stuff into a gumbo recently, but okra’s use extends well beyond regional southern favorites: Both made at home and ordered in restaurants Bhindi masala is an Indian favorite featuring okra - dry sautéed in a mixture of spices. Pickled pods can be very good depending on the brine. Tossed in fine corn meal, deep-fried and served with a bottle of crystal hot sauce by its side - Okra can scratch an itch only the way good in a way that hot food and cold beer can. In the summer - small fresh pods cooked briefly with tomato, corn cut straight from the cob, garlic and thyme is an all time favorite.
Shrimp Gumbo
1/2 Stick Butter
¼ cup oil
½ cup All-Purpose Flour
One Onion, diced fine
2 qts water
3 ripe tomatoes – diced or one 12 oz can of diced tomatoes
4 – 6 cloves garlic
Add roughly 1 teaspoon and a half each of oregano, rosemary, thyme, cayenne to the pot
2 bay leaves
¾ to 1 pound okra - cut into 1 inch segments
1 red pepper cut into dime sized pieces
1 bunch green onions - chopped
2 stalks celery, cut into small pieces
1 pound cleaned Shrimp
2 Tablespoons chopped parsley
Salt and Pepper to taste
While thought and opinion are the lynchpins of passion, and people can be quite passionate about gumbo, the dish only suffers from strict interpretations. Gumbo is a fluid dish: Chicken, duck, crab, oyster, the herb – file, sausage, and/or fish can be all be part of a good gumbo. The flavors: the Cajun trinity of spices Onion, garlic and celery need to be represented. The Bell Pepper should be red and added with the green onion and celery right before service so they retain their texture.
The single most important aspect of the dish is the roux. The combination of flour and fat should be dark, dark, dark in color without becoming burnt. This takes time, high temperature increases the chance of scorching the roux. A thick pan – cast iron works well – placed on the lowest setting the stove has is the best strategy. Add the fat and flour and let it go, stirring occasionally for up to two hours. The color should be chocolaty, not milk chocolate, dark chocolate.
Once the color is close to the desired shade, add the onion and cook for an additional 15 minutes. When the roux/onion combo is ready, add the liquid. Water works well, a good homemade stock – shellfish, fish or vegetable compliments the dish while chicken stock overwhelms the subtlety of the flavors. And nothing, nothing from a can or concentrate should go in here.
Turn the heat up to medium and stir the liquid in slowly, add garlic, tomatoes with the herbs and spices. Reduce heat to low and let this mixture cook for 90 minutes to 2 hours. Add the chopped okra - cook for an additional 30 minutes over low heat. (Now is a good time to prepare some rice)
Return heat to medium and add the remaining ingredients. Once the shrimp turn pink, turn the heat off and serve. Rice, hot sauce, cold drink are all welcome additions to the table – happiness, however fleeting, ensues.
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