Mum will be so proud: Dinner with Okra

I've never been a fussy eater. Some may think my dad's 'eat what your mother puts in front of you or don't eat at all' approach is a bit harsh, but it definitely gets the job done! Even as a kid I just couldn't skip a meal, no matter how gross I made it up in my mind to be. I guess it's lucky I became a chef rather than an accountant. If I wasn't running around and exercising at my job all day, I'd be a 300 pound pencil pusher! Imagine that, haha :D

Anyways, getting to the point, I grew up eating everything my parents ate for dinner (well with the exception of fried livers... my dad showed us kids a little mercy). However, as we grew up, clever kids that we were, we began to notice a potential loop hole in the rule. Anything that both parents ate, we had to eat as well. But what if it was something that only our mum ate? Game off! We were free to side with whichever parent we wanted to. Mwahaha. And the one thing that fell into this category? Okra.

 My dad hates okra. He says its slimy and furry and weird and he won't eat it. And what kid is going to eat something like that? No kid that's who. I don't think I even tried it.

It wasn't until I ate a delicious gumbo at my favourite Southern restaurant in Eugene, Papa's Soul Food, that I discovered okra could be my friend. Well after a few years experimenting with it, and a delicious roasted lamb with okra in Greece this past summer, it is now on my list. It's not always around, so I always get really excited when I see it at farmers markets.

Well last week was my week! I saw it from across the market. A humungous, green, beautiful pile of it. Roasting it in the oven with potatoes, green beans, and chicken makes it a delicious and healthy one pan meal. Serve with a hunk of bread and feta cheese... my mouth is watering already!

Don't think you like something? Well when was the last time you tried it?

Oven Roasted Chicken with Okra

1 whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces

500 g okra

500 g green beans, ends trimmed

4 waxy potatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces

salt, pepper, oregano

1/4 cup olive oil

1 onion, fine dice

3 cloves garlic, mashed to a paste

1 celery stalk, fine dice

400 g tinned tomatoes

3 tbsp chopped parsley

 

On medium high heat, sear the chicken pieces skin side down until some fat has melted out. Flip and sear all sides of the chicken until they are nice and brown but not cooked all the way through. Place the chicken in a large roasting pan. Scatter the okra, green beans, and potatoes around the chicken. Season with salt, pepper, and oregano.

I forgot I added halved mushrooms too!

 In the same pan you seared the chicken in, add the olive oil and onion on low heat. This may look like a lot of oil, but don't worry, extra virgin olive oil is good for you and it won't be greasy I promise. Once the onion looks soft and translucent, add the garlic and celery. Cook for 5 minutes then add the tomatoes and chopped parsley. If using whole tomatoes, blend them before adding to the pan. You want a nice tomato sauce. Cook this for 10 minutes until it looks like it's come together nicely.

For homemade tomato puree, just blend 400 g fresh tomatoes with parsley (and I added mint)

Pour the tomato sauce over the chicken and okra evenly. Shake the pan a bit to make sure the sauce is everywhere and then put it in a 180C oven for about 45 minutes until everything is cooked, browned, and smells delicious!

Now all that's left to do is let rest 5 minutes before digging in, bread in one hand feta in the other!

It may not be beautiful, but it is SO GOOD. Don't forget to use the bread to mop up all the delicious sauce at the end!