Name: Stewed Okra
Total time: 55 min
Ingredients: 1½ teaspoons garlic powder; 1 teaspoon onion powder; 1 tablespoon plus 1¼ cups water , divided; 3 slices bacon , cut into ½-inch pieces; 1 small onion , chopped; ½ teaspoon table salt; ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika; ¼ teaspoon pepper; ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper; 1 vine-ripened tomato , cored and chopped; 12 ounces fresh okra , caps trimmed and cut into ½-inch pieces; 2 teaspoons lemon juice; Hot sauce

Why This Recipe Works

For a full-bodied, spiced, and smoky okra stew, we started by rendering bacon fat until a rich fond formed on the bottom of the pot, and then we built on its flavor base by sautéing onion along with onion and garlic powders, smoked paprika, and black and cayenne peppers. Next, we deglazed the fond with juicy chopped fresh tomato and added the okra, along with water and lemon juice. As the okra simmered, its polysaccharides dissolved in and thickened the broth.

Before You Begin

Don't use frozen okra in this recipe. We like the sharp tang that a few drops of a particularly vinegary hot sauce add here. Serve as a side dish or with steamed white rice as an entrée.

Instructions

Stir garlic powder, onion powder, and 1 tablespoon water together in small bowl. Cook bacon in medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until fat is rendered and dark fond forms on bottom of saucepan, 5 to 7 minutes. Add onion and salt and cook, stirring frequently, until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add paprika, pepper, cayenne, and garlic powder mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add tomato and cook, scraping browned bits from bottom of saucepan. Stir in okra, lemon juice, and remaining 1¼ cups water. Increase heat to high and bring to simmer. Adjust heat to maintain gentle simmer. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until okra is tender and liquid has consistency of thin gravy, 25 to 30 minutes (gravy will thicken as it cools). Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve, passing hot sauce separately.