Smothered Okra and Tomatoes

Okra pods have an 88-90% water content and that’s why we often get slimy okra. To avoid slimy okra, the best way is to remove as much water as you can before you cook the okra.

•Heavily salt whole okra pods with kosher salt; let it sit for 10-15 minutes on a paper towel then shake off the excess salt and cut into rounds. (The salt absorbs some of the moisture in the okra) – OR-
•Lightly sauté okra in oil first, then drain well. This makes it a bit crisp, but may help reduce the slime in cooked okra.
•Bring the liquid (water, chicken broth, vegetable broth) to a full rolling boil on medium-high heat, then add the okra. DO NOT OVERCOOK IT. It only takes a few minutes of the total cooking time for the okra to become tender.
•This vegetable is a thickening agent. It thickens any dish you put it in, like Gumbo. If you want it thick, let the skillet simmer after the okra is tender

Do not use a cast iron skillet to cook the smothered okra and tomatoes. Cast iron skillets do not like the acidity of the tomatoes and often cast off a “metal” or “tinny” taste.
It is best to use a ceramic skillet or Dutch oven, aluminum skillet, or a non-stick skillet when cooking tomatoes.

Yes! Use fresh or frozen “cut” okra (not “whole”) for this recipe. If you use frozen okra, give it a quick rinse; pat dry; then salt heavily. Smothered okra and tomatoes taste best when you use fresh tomatoes and fresh okra, but you can get by with using canned diced tomatoes and frozen okra

Hands down, the best okra is usually found at you local farmers market, but if you can only find it at the grocery store, then pick through and select the best okra for smothered okra and tomatoes!
*Look for the smallest, greenest okra pods you can find. Small okra pods tend to have more flavor.
*Make sure the okra is firm and green
*Avoid choosing okra with dark spots
*If you buy okra in advance, store it loosely in a bag in the fridge for up to three days; do not put it in the vegetable bin-just place it on a shelf in your refrigerator and do NOT rinse it

For rich savory Southern okra and tomatoes, use either one, but if you use canned tomatoes, you might want to add a pinch of sugar to them. If you use San Marzano tomatoes, no additional sugar is needed. See Recipe Notes.

Use diced, crushed, whole or stewed canned tomatoes and if they have a seasoning in them, like garlic and/or basil, that’s okay, too.

I suppose you could, but this smothered okra and tomatoes is such a quick and easy recipe, I don’t think it would turn out very well…I think the okra would be really slimy.

Believe it or not, okra is a nutrient dense, edible plant pod in the Mallow plant family(Malvaceae). Also in this family are hollyhock, cotton and Rose of Sharon. 
Okra has quite a history, but some folks aren’t aware of the vegetable or how to cook it! It originally came from Africa in the early 1700s, landing, most likely, in Louisiana. 
It is used heavily in African recipes and often added to soups, stews and Gumbo’s as a natural thickening agent. The African term for okra is “gombo”-so if you think of Louisiana gumbo when you hear the word okra, you’re exactly right!
In the Southern United States, you’ll often find fried okra – cut okra that has been lightly dusted with cornmeal and fried in oil. Other preparation methods include grilled and pickled okra. In the South, it is not uncommon to find a pickled okra in your weekend Bloody Mary!

These terms are often used interchangeably in Cajun and Creole cooking. It means to slow cook something (vegetables or meat) on moderate heat with ample liquid. Braising is probably the best comparison to “smothered” or “stewed.”