Greek Style Smothered Okra

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Greek Style Smothered Okra

 

oil spray

1 to 2 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon medium finely chopped garlic

1 1/2 pounds very fresh okra pods, 2 " to 3 " long, washed well, but not cut open

or destemmed

1 large juicy, deep ripe summer tomato, chopped

salt to taste

freshly ground black pepper to taste

a few dashes of cayenne

1/2 to 1 teaspoon dry dill weed

 

Oil spray a heavy, 10- to 14-inch cast-iron skillet, one that has a tight

fitting cover. Place on very low heat. Add olive oil, garlic, and okra. In

contrast to most sautes, the okra gets added when neither pan, nor oil, nor

garlic, is yet hot. Scatter tomato over the okra.

Still keeping heat very low, let okra just cook, uncovered, for about 10

minutes. Do not stir. Then cover, and let cook for 20 to 30 minutes more. Keep

on not stirring. Make sure heat is low enough so nothing is burning. If you

like, you can kind of push a few of the pods back to make sure the garlic on the

bottom is not burning, merely cooking, very very slowly.

After 30 minutes, lift lid. Stir cautiously, just a few times the okra should be

quite tender, soft and sort of golden brownish. In stirring, you want to break

it up as little as possible, rather just recombine the ingredients, though it is

likely that a few pods will split if they have not already done so.

Turn off heat. Salt and pepper the okra, sprinkle with cayenne and dill, stir

one more time and serve. Serve the whole pods. Those dining can either cut off

the stems at the top of the pods themselves (with a fork and knife), or pick

them up by the stems and nibble their way down, or even eat the stems, firmer,

of course, than the tender pod, but edible and tasty.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.