Okra And Tomato Stew From An Old Source.

Stewed Okra And Tomatoes

A man called me on the radio show recently with a request for a recipe he remembers as having been made by his grandmother. All he knew was that it was made with okra, had a vaguely pink color, and was delicious. I was surprised that he had never tracked that one down. It's an old-fashioned Creole dish that was popular as a side dish for a long time, but is now a rarity. I was also surprised that I had never written a recipe for it myself, even though I have cooked it a few times. For this old recipe went to annother old source: "Cooking With Entergy," a great collection of the thousands of recipes New Orleans Public Service Inc. used to mail with its bills and brochures. This recipe is a little different from theirs. I knock back the salta bit. Another interesting step I remember comes from my mother's okra gumbo recipe. To get rid of the gel in the okra (also known as "slime"), she fried the okra with the bacon fat. That seems to do the trick.

• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 lb. okra, sliced
• 2 Tbs. bacon drippings
• 3 1/2 cups chopped medium tomatoes
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 sprig fresh thyme, leaves only (or 1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves

1. In a heavy skillet, heat the bacon drippings, then add the okra and onions. Cook until the gel inside the okra more or less disappears (about three minutes). 2. Add the tomatoes and remaining ingredients. Cook for a minute, then lower the heat. 3. Cover the pan and simmer the contents for 25-30 minutes. Serves four. Serves four.