Another word for okra is gumbo - and of course it can be used for the cajun dish of the same name. I've been a great fan of cajun cooking since the first time I encountered it, but I've never really tried to make it much myself. This was an experiment somewhat into that.
Ingredients:
- 1 lb (500 g) dried lima beans
- 1 lb (500 g) sliced okra
- 2 chicken filets, cut in strips
- 1 red bell pepper, cut in strips
- 1/2 onion, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, mashed
- 2 dried puya chilies
- water
- salt
The preparation starts 1 day before...
Put the lima beans in a large pot and cover with 2 L (1/2 gallon) water. Let stand overnight (or at least 6-8 hours). Then drain and set aside.
Cut the ends of the puya chilies, shake out most of the seeds, put in water in a small pot, bring to a boil, turn off and let stand for half an hour to soften - then cut in small pieces.
In a large pot, heat up a little oil, add onion and chilies and stir till onion is translucent. Then add the chicken and the garlic and stir til the chicken is cooked. Add the okra, the lima beans, about 1.5 L (3/8 gallon) water, salt and the bell pepper. This looked at first like a soup and I was afraid I'd added too much water, but after simmering for 2-3 hours the dish had thickened up nicely and I was rather happy with the result, served on a bed of parboiled rice.
Unfortunately Mrs. throat-erator didn't fancy this at all.
Monday 29 October 2007
Lima Bean Gumbo
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2 comments:
lol Maybe she didn't fancy it because it's not gumbo at all. Here's a recipe from my mother's family in the middle of cajun country. My own I vary a little from it. To note, some people add celery and bellpeppers. When you serve it up, be sure there's just enough rice in your bowl to make it a stewlike consistancy. So many northerners think it's served like rice and gravy, so very wrong, such a travesty! As for roux, you can find a recipe for it anywhere on the net. I prefer personally a dark roux instead of a light roux, it gives it a richer flavor. In my own recipe as well, I use, instead of half a chicken, just a bunch of skinless chicken legs. Everyone I know loves the legs and it's easier to get the meat off the bone while you're eating. And as for how the recipe is written, my apologies, it was written by my 73 year old mother who's never written a recipe in her life. Additionally, lima beans do not belong in gumbo, nor do mushrooms or carrots. The spirit of cajun cooking is resourcefulness and using what you have on hand, but never have such things gone into a gumbo pot in tradition, it is at that point no longer a gumbo and is considered a stew and not exactly cajun. Anyways, on with the recipe. I hope you and your wife enjoy it much more if you decide to try it. Oh, and it doesn't take days, just a few hours. But gumbo is always better a few days later.
Put two or three inches of water in pot (like my yellow pot).
Add one heaping cooking spoon of roux (more if necessary).
Add one chopped onion and two Tbs. Tony Chachere's Seasoning.
Cook on medium or medium low (uncovered) for ½ hour. While roux is cooking in a separate pot boil (to remove fat) two or three links of sausage cut about ½ inch long. Add sausage and chicken (½ a hen) to cooked liquid.
Buy a hen already cut up. Remove skin and fat. (Don't cut yourself.)
Partially cover pot (leave large opening) and cook for 1 and ½ hours on medium or medium low.
When using shrimp, do not use sausage and chicken. If using shrimp, add one small bag ground dry shrimp. Let cook on medium low for about one hour.
Add water if too much evaporates. (Do this for any gumbo). Add one pound of peeled shrimp and let cook an additional 25 minutes. If you use oysters, put them in about fifteen minutes before you are ready to serve. Cook rice separately. 4 cups rice, five cups water, 1tbs. salt. Enjoy
I think actually she doesn't like Lima beans.. but that may be beside the point. I think I should try your recipe in the none-to-distant future.
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