4:35
- food
- March 4, 2022
The rich flavors and history of Lowcountry cuisine
From Carolina gold rice to okra stew, these foods have stood the test of time.
4:35
\"Over the years we created other dishes out of that and kept adding to it. We would do red rice, gumbo with shrimp, or even a tomato-based okra soup with shrimp. The flavor of the shrimp just takes over to flavor so many different dishes,\" he said. \"It's the highlighted protein that we use in Lowcountry cuisine in Charleston, especially here where it's a sweeter and less briny shrimp than other places.\"
\"Okra is actually an African ingredient; it came with us when we came here,\" Drayton said. \"We have two main dishes with the okra on our menu -- a brown sauce, which is a traditional gumbo, and a red sauce that's a soup form, more Creole-like.\"
The vibrant, green, seed-filled pods that resemble a mix between a mini cucumber and starfruit, have become a divisive vegetable for some, even among professional chefs like Tom Colicchio.
![\"PHOTO:](\"http://a.abcnews.com/images/GMA/localshrimpcharleston_1646326844073_hpEmbed_19x14_384.jpg\")
\"It's all about the cooking technique when it comes to okra,\" Drayton explained. \"The longer you cook it, the more it's broken down so you won't get that slimy effect.\"
![\"PHOTO:](\"http://a.abcnews.com/images/GMA/okrastew_1646326844067_hpEmbed_3x4_384.jpg\")
\"Okra soup is a traditional tomato-based soup that originated in West Africa,\" Brown said. \"While you can add any protein to this dish, I like using shrimp when it's in season in the Lowcountry because it pairs really well with the okra.\"
Total: 1 hr 50 min
Active: 30 min
Yield: 10 servings
Ingredients
Shrimp broth:
2 cups medium shrimp, peeled and deveined, shrimp reserved for the okra soup, shells cleaned in cold water and reserved for the shrimp broth
1 cup large-chopped carrot
1 cup large-chopped celery
1 cup large-chopped onion
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 large onion, chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups fresh or thawed frozen corn
2 cups thawed frozen lima beans
1 cup diced fresh Roma tomatoes
One 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 1/2 cups sliced fresh or thawed frozen okra
1 teaspoon ground ginger
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Steamed rice, for serving, optional
Directions
For the shrimp broth: Put the shrimp shells, carrots, celery, onions, butter, salt, bay leaf and 10 cups water in a large pot. Bring to a boil for 5 minutes. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for about 45 minutes, making sure to skim off and discard any impurities that rise to the top.
Strain the liquid, reserving 3 cups of the broth for the okra soup. Reserve the additional broth for another use.
For the okra soup: Heat a large gumbo pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add the olive oil, garlic, onions, green peppers and 1 tablespoon of the butter and saute until the vegetables soften.
Next, add the corn, lima beans and Roma tomatoes and mix together. Add the canned diced tomatoes and reserved 3 cups shrimp broth, stir, cover, bring to a simmer and cook for about 20 minutes. While the soup is simmering, melt the remaining tablespoon of butter in a medium skillet, add the reserved shrimp and season with salt and pepper. Cook until the shrimp begin to turn pink. Add the okra, ground ginger and lemon juice, stir to mix and then cook until the okra and shrimp are cooked through.
Once the soup has simmered for 20 minutes, add the shrimp and okra mixture to the soup. Cover and cook for an additional 10 minutes. Stir the soup, then serve over rice (or enjoy it without rice).
Recipe reprinted with permission courtesy of Kardea Brown.
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