This past Sunday we were at dim sum trying to plan dinner. Ryan wanted shrimp. At Fei Long we got some ingredients for shrimp & grits, and since we were going that route I decided to make stewed okra & tomatoes, which I’ve never made before but figured it fit the theme and that they’d go well together. And that I’d figure it out.
So here is dinner:
And this is how (this is in order of how I cooked things):
Okra & Tomatoes (I didn’t really use a recipe, just my brain)
1. Mince 2 shallots and caramelize in a small pot with oil.
2. Large dice a couple of tomatoes and throw those in, then season with salt.
3. Wash and cut okra into 3/4 inch diagonals and toss those in, season with salt.
4. Add water, just enough to cover the ingredients, then bring to a low boil.
5. Add white vinegar (I used vinegar that I’ve thrown some garlic and Thai chiles into, that I always have on hand).
6. Add white pepper, cayenne, paprika, bay leaves.
7. Simmer – if you need to add more liquids, add vinegar.
Grits
1. Bring water or stock to a boil. I used seafood stock that was leftover from last Sunday’s dinner, which was cioppino. Repeat: last Sunday we had ciopinno with stock made from scratch.
2. Reserve some in another container (about 2 cups).
3. Whisk cornmeal in. I used about a cup and we had enough for three servings.
4. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Keep whisking over low heat, adding liquid as necessary.
6. Season as needed. The texture should be thick but not pasty.
Shrimp
1. De-shell and de-vein shrimp, then toss with olive oil, salt, pepper. We left the tails on.
2. Cut bacon strips in half and wrap each shrimp.
3. Grill on each side until cooked. Because of the bacon you might end up overcooking the shrimp but that’s okay because bacon.
To serve, spoon grits out onto a plate. Top with the stewed okra, then arrange shrimp around the edges. I drank root beer but this begs for actual beer, of the yeast/malt/hops variety.
Stomach Monster 