QUICK, EASY & DELICIOUS CORNMEAL COU COU AND OKRA RECIPE

This cornmeal cou cou recipe is the base of the national dish of Barbados. Traditionally, it would be served with steamed flying fish but nowadays, Bajans now use anything from salmon to beef to pork stew. In the Virgin Islands, it is also served with steamed fish but called fungi so if you’re trying to order it in the Caribbean, look for cornmeal and okra on the menu.

Pro tip: Since okras normally come in a pack of more than 12, my mother washes, cuts and freezes them in a ziploc bag for her next batch of cou cou. I used to be deathly afraid of making this dish because the amount of stirring that was necessary was obscene. It also didn’t guarantee you would get a smooth cou cou either. Talk about disappointment. Now, I can whip this up in 20 minutes which still blows my mind and if you follow the directions, you get perfect cou cou every time.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups corn meal
• 12 okras (fresh or frozen)
• 6 cups water
• 1 tbsp salt
• 2 tbsp butter (salted)

RECIPE

1. Place 3 cups water in a large saucepan and add in 1/2 tbsp salt
2. Wash okras and cut of stems
3. Slice okras into rings (similar to how a cucumber is sliced)
4. Add sliced okras to saucepan and boil for 10 minutes
5. While okras are boiling, place 2 cups cornmeal in a separate bowl
6. Add 3 cups water and 1/2 tbsp salt to the cornmeal and whisk out any lumps
7. Once okras have cooked, turn off stove and stir in corn meal mixture until well blended (a wooden spoon is recommended)
8. Return saucepan to the stove and stir ingredients over medium heat
9. Stir consistently until mixture becomes stiff and smooth (it’s ready when it breaks away from bottom of sauce pan cleanly)
10. Immediately transfer the mixture into a dish and spread liberally with butter.
11. Note: it will take on the shape of the dish so use different shapes to mix it up!

Because I love butter so much, I usually drizzle a little bit more on top of the steamed fish. So so good!