Okra and Shrimp Stew
By Amethyst GanawayPublished on June 21, 2021
Time
4 hours 50 minutes
Yield
Serves 8 to 10
Ingredients
Before You Begin
If you can find medium shrimp (41 to 50 per pound), use those and leave them whole. Look for meaty ham hocks. If you buy the test kitchen's preferred brand of andouille sausage, Jacob's World Famous Andouille, which tends to be thicker than other products, halve it lengthwise before slicing it crosswise.
Instructions
- Combine water, ham hocks, onion, and bay leaf in large Dutch oven and bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover, with lid slightly ajar; and simmer until ham hocks are fork-tender, 2½ to 3 hours.
- Remove pot from heat and transfer ham hocks to cutting board. Let ham hocks rest until cool enough to handle; discard onion and bay leaf from broth. Transfer broth to large bowl; measure out 8 cups broth (add enough water to equal 8 cups if necessary; reserve any excess for another use). Remove ham from bones, discard bones, and cut ham into bite-size pieces. (Broth and chopped ham can be refrigerated separately for up to 2 days. If fat solidifies on top of broth after chilling, you can discard fat before proceeding, if preferred.)
- Heat oil in now-empty pot over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add sausage and cook until lightly browned on both sides, about 5minutes. Add okra, tomatoes and their juice, beans, minced garlic, salt, pepper, granulated garlic, onion powder, paprika, 8 cups broth, and ham to pot. Bring to boil over high heat.
- Reduce heat to medium and cook at strong simmer, uncovered, until reduced by about half and thickened to stew-like consistency, 55 minutes to 1 hour 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low; stir in shrimp; and cook until shrimp are just cooked through, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve over rice.
Time
4 hours 50 minutesYield
Serves 8 to 10Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
Okra and shrimp stew is well-known in the Carolina Lowcountry, which is home to the Gullah, or Gullah Geechee, people. Its ingredients reflect a wise use of the land and sea, and its cooking methods and simple techniques reveal a cultural wisdom that simmers up both deep flavors and emotions. This long-simmered, complexly flavored mix of vegetables and seafood takes a bit of time, but the investment is worth it. This is a dish that is meant to be shared among family, friends, and community. Okra and shrimp stew is a gumbo-style dish, but unlike the more familiar Louisiana-style gumbos, gumbos in the Lowcountry do not rely upon a deep-brown roux or filé powder for flavor and texture. The dish is known by different names, including okra stew and okra gumbo, which can be confusing: The word “gumbo” is derived from the West African word “gombo,” which literally means “okra.” What is important to know is that all these stews are closely related and the names are used interchangeably; bright-green okra, with its sticky, slimy character, serves as a natural thickener; and the stews often start with a flavorful, slow-simmered broth or stock made from a large smoked ham bone. A ham stock is a common element in African American cookery.
Before You Begin
If you can find medium shrimp (41 to 50 per pound), use those and leave them whole. Look for meaty ham hocks. If you buy the test kitchen's preferred brand of andouille sausage, Jacob's World Famous Andouille, which tends to be thicker than other products, halve it lengthwise before slicing it crosswise.
Instructions
- Combine water, ham hocks, onion, and bay leaf in large Dutch oven and bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover, with lid slightly ajar; and simmer until ham hocks are fork-tender, 2½ to 3 hours.
- Remove pot from heat and transfer ham hocks to cutting board. Let ham hocks rest until cool enough to handle; discard onion and bay leaf from broth. Transfer broth to large bowl; measure out 8 cups broth (add enough water to equal 8 cups if necessary; reserve any excess for another use). Remove ham from bones, discard bones, and cut ham into bite-size pieces. (Broth and chopped ham can be refrigerated separately for up to 2 days. If fat solidifies on top of broth after chilling, you can discard fat before proceeding, if preferred.)
- Heat oil in now-empty pot over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add sausage and cook until lightly browned on both sides, about 5minutes. Add okra, tomatoes and their juice, beans, minced garlic, salt, pepper, granulated garlic, onion powder, paprika, 8 cups broth, and ham to pot. Bring to boil over high heat.
- Reduce heat to medium and cook at strong simmer, uncovered, until reduced by about half and thickened to stew-like consistency, 55 minutes to 1 hour 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low; stir in shrimp; and cook until shrimp are just cooked through, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve over rice.
Gift This Recipe
Enjoyed this dish? Let others know by sharing it as a gift recipe.
Appears In
Key Equipment
Keep Exploring
0 Comments