BRAISED OKRA
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A visit to my dad's garden early in the morning is always a wonderful experience. We gathered lots of vegetables, tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, and more. But I was particularly interested in the okra. Truth be told, I had never seen how okra is harvested up close. I observed the plant... it looked fascinating, with its sturdy stem and wide leaves covered in fuzz. I was used to buying pre-cut okra from the market or using frozen ones! "Hey dad, aren't they a bit big?" I asked. "No," he said, "they are the right size, tender and soft. Look at their bright green caps!" He explained that we check and harvest them every other day. They shouldn't exceed 2-3 centimeters in length because then they become woody. He put them in a basin, picked the ripest tomatoes and plenty of parsley, and handed them to me. Now, let's sit on the veranda under the mulberry tree and clean them. I make coffee, take a small bag, a small knife, and we start the cleaning process while I see dad wandering around gathering firewood for the oven and bringing me the baking dish I'll use to cook them on the rooftop...
Our ingredients:
3 potatoes, cut into pieces
500g okra
2 dry onions, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, sliced
1 carrot, sliced
50g olive oil for sauteing + 50g for the rest of the cooking
4 ripe tomatoes, passed through a grater
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp sugar (optional)
1 tbsp finely chopped parsley
A splash of vinegar
Salt and pepper
Directions
Using a small knife, we clean the caps of the okra carefully, making sure not to touch the body of the pods. The cut is made diagonally. Then, we wash and drain them, and place them in a baking dish, seasoning them with salt and vinegar. After that, we place them under the strong sun for about two hours. This is done to toughen them up, preventing them from losing too much moisture and making them crispier during cooking.
Next, we rinse them and heat the olive oil in a deep pot. We add the okra and saute them for 5 minutes without stirring, but by shaking the pot from the handles. Then, we add the tomato paste, onion, followed by the garlic. Next, we pour in the grated tomato (reserving 1/3 for later), add sugar (if desired), salt, and pepper. If using canned tomatoes, you may need to add some water. If using fresh tomatoes, you don't need to add water or sugar because they are naturally sweet.
We let it simmer for 5-8 minutes and preheat the oven. Then, we transfer the okra to a baking dish (I try to arrange them neatly with the help of a spatula). On top, we pour the reserved grated tomato, add the potatoes, carrots, herbs, and drizzle with olive oil. We cover the baking dish and bake in a hot oven (around 200°C) for half an hour. Then, we uncover the dish and bake for another 10 minutes to caramelize the sauce.
Serve with a slice of bread, preferably toasted, and a glass of wine!
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