[Sca-cooks] Okra - Seasonal Foods

[lilinah at earthlink.net]

Stefan li Rous wrote:
>Urtatim suggested:
>  > You could also try the Moroccan way...
>  > Wash the okra, but keep whole, leaving on the stem.
>  > With a needle, run a white thread through all the stems.
>  > Put the "wreath" of okra into the cooking pot with all necessary
>  > ingredients (these are usually saucy dishes).
>  > When you want to stir the pot, gently lift out the okra, stir the
>  > other ingredients, then lower the okra back in.
>
>Okay, I guess I'm missing something here. What is the reason for
>stringing the okra onto the thread? Is this like bay leaves where the
>leaves are used just for flavoring and you remove the leaves from the
>dish before serving it? Or are you cooking this dish until the okra
>becomes soft and the string is to keep the okra from being burst when
>you stir the dish?

Yes, to keep from breaking them as they cook If the okra is just 
"loose" in the pot with the other ingredients, each time the cook 
stirs the pot, they risk breaking the okra and releasing all the 
mucilagineity (to coin a word).

>If so, it seems like the very act of lifting the
>"wreath" of okra would increase the chances of the okra bursting or
>falling off the string.

That's why one runs the thread through the stems, and at the thickest 
part (which i didn't specify), so it won't break.
-- 
Urtatim (that's err-tah-TEEM)
the persona formerly known as Anahita