Okra Pilau Recipe

Okra Pilau Recipe

This okra rice pilaf recipe, known as okra pilau, is a southern staple, particularly of South Carolina, in whose swampy lands rice has been cultivated since colonial days. It's simple; you just render bacon fat, cook chopped onions, peppers, and okra briefly in it, add rice, stock, and cook until done. Stir in chopped cooked bacon at the end. Whatever sliminess the famously slimy okra produces while cooking gets absorbed by the rice, and what you're left with is just lovely okra, and okra and bacon infused rice.


From what I understand (if there are any South Carolinians out there, please advise me if I'm off base here) shrimp, sausage, and/or black eyed peas are often added to the pilau, making for a more substantial meal than what I'm presenting here. The dish is also curiously known as "Limpin' Susan", but I can find no reference to the etymology of that name.

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 slices of bacon (about 5 ounces), chopped
• 1 cup chopped yellow onion
• 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 2 cups okra, sliced into disks, 1/2 to 3/4-inch thick (fresh or frozen, thawed)
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne (or to taste)
• 1 teaspoon Kosher salt (use less salt if using seasoned broth)
• 1 cup long-grain rice
• 1 3/4 cup chicken stock*

METHOD:
1.. Spread the chopped bacon out in a pot so it covers the bottom completely and turn the heat to medium. Fry it until it's crispy, then remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and reserve. Drain off all but about 2 tablespoons of bacon fat.

2.. Add the onion and green pepper and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the okra and turn the heat to high. Add the cayenne, salt and rice and stir-fry for 1 minute.
3.. Stir in the chicken broth, cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to maintain a low simmer and cook until the rice is done, about 20 minutes. Fluff up the rice with a fork and stir in the chopped bacon.