To beat a perhaps nearly dead horse ... as with all things recipe I originally started this based on a different variation and found myself using this version in most cases when I find fresh okra ... so take this with a shot of tequila and make it your own.
Things:
2 medium bowls to hold prepped stuff
1 large-ish strainer for prep
Things to prep veggies (cutting board, hands, knife, etc)
9-10" skillet, 2-3" deep with lid
Ingredients:
1 leek, roots and all
5-6 cloves o garlic
1 lb fresh okra (20-30 medium to large pieces)
5-6 ripe heirloom tomatoes
1 8 oz can diced tomatoes (low sodium preferred, 2 cans if no fresh tomatoes)
1/2 cup dry-ish white wine, typically I'll use chardonnay, although I have used Sauvignon Blanc (just avoid anything toooooo sweet)
1 cup (plus) chicken stock
1 tbsp coarse seal salt
1 tbsp coarse ground black pepper
1 tbsp coconut oil
Prep:
Fresh tomatoes: rinse and place in bottom of strainer
The leek: cut an inch or so up from the roots and discard the root section. Cut an inch or so from the green tips and discard the tips. From bottom to top cut the leek in half. Rinse each section and remove sand and whatever else the leek brought with it from the farm. Place rinsed sections in strainer.
Garlic: peel and mince and place into prep bowl
Leeks: cut all sections across (perpendicular to) the first cut, making short ribbons of 1/16" (really narrow) in width and place in prep bowl with garlic.
Fresh tomatoes: cut into 1/4 wedges and place into second prep bowl
Okra: Rinse and place in strainer. Using two - three similar length pieces, cut the tips and caps off and discard. Cut the remaining sections into no more than 1/2" pieces and place in prep bowl with tomatoes.
To cook:
- Heat skillet on med/med-high heat for 2-3 minutes until drops of water skim across and evaporate quickly.
- Add oil, after 30 seconds coat surface of skillet with oil
- Add leeks and garlic, stir once or twice and cook for 3-4 minutes
- Add wine and let it come to a simmer and reduce until nearly all fluid is gone
- Add okra and all tomatoes (these could be prepped during the previous few steps)
- Add salt and pepper
- Add stock and stir together (note: the okra and tomatoes should not be submerged, but nearly covered with fluid)
- Once simmering, cover and reduce heat to low, as you want a very gentle simmer
- After 30 minutes uncover, stir and check fluid level, if reduced by more than half, it's cooking too fast, reduce heat and cover.
- Optimally after 60 minutes you have reduced the fluid level by half. From here, it is your decision on when its done. I typically simmer for 90 minutes.
Naturally you'll want to let is cool breifly before serving. This can (based on spice additions) be served along side any number of things, or as a stand alone veggie stew.
Cheers!
