Growing up this was my favorite meal. I loved it so. It got to the point where when I moved away, whenever I returned, an Elder would make it for me. It's not something I make with frozen okra, so it's very seldom that I made it up North, but Robby's parents gave us some fresh okra straight out of their garden last night and I got up first thing EARLY this morning (had people in town) to make a double batch of it so we could all enjoy.
And BAAAAAAAAAAAABY...it was so good it was crazy. The okra was so fresh it was like butter. I'm mad I didn't grab a pic or two before I got down and that we had people around all day so I couldn't take the time to take step-by-step pictures. I'll try and take a pic of a plate of it tomorrow to add to this. I'm not promising anything though because it was so good I might not be able to stop long enough to take a pic.
This is one of those meals some folks will turn their nose up at because they've never had okra done properly and well, there is nothing more unsettling than slimy okra in your mouth. Most of us know that you need the acid from tomatoes to cook the slime out in a dish like this but there are plenty of people who clearly missed that country lesson cuz they were too busy being cute to help the Elders out in the kitchen.
Me? I didn't have a choice. LOL! Thank God!
1 lb. fresh okra, trimmed and cut
1 sweet onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
2 bay leaves
3 cloves garlic, diced
1.5 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined, seasoned
1 lb. sausage, sliced and browned
1 - 28 ounce can Rotel tomatoes and chilis, mild
1 - 10 ounce can Rotel tomatoes and chilis, spicy
1 cup chicken broth
2 pounds chicken wings cut into drummettes, seasoned and browned
Olive oil
Saute onion, bell pepper, okra and garlic in olive oil for ten minutes over medium heat. Add canned tomatoes and bay leaves. Continue cooking for about 15 minutes more until "slime" has lessoned greatly. While doing this, brown chicken in a cast iron skillet and remove to a waiting plate or bowl and then brown sausage. Add chicken, sausage and chicken broth to pot. Cover and cook on medium low heat for forty minutes. Add shrimp. Cook for another 20 minutes.
Serve over rice with cornbread.
Try not to overeat as I did and, at the end of the day have counted four plates that were your undoing. If you do eat four plates and find yourself too full to move even though you were moving, just get you some Smooth Move man...nobody needs to know and/or worry.
Oh...and remember...this is one of them man catching meals so don't be whupping this out all willy nilly and mess around and get a stalker okay?
You've been warned.