Ingredients

Serves 4

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ½ onion, minced
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 small jalapeno, deseeded and minced
• 6 plum tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
• ¼ cup chicken stock
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 cups of okra, sliced to ¼ inch thick
• ½ peanut oil
• zest of one lemon
• 2 slices bacon (optional)
• Salt to taste

In a medium sauté pan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and sweat for 3 to 4 minutes, not allowing it to get color. Add the garlic and jalapeno and cook for 1 minute.

Add the tomatoes and cook for 4 to 6 minutes. Deglaze with red wine vinegar and continue to reduce for 5 minutes. Add the chicken stock and bay leaf and allow to simmer until the consistency is similar to a thick tomato sauce. Salt to taste.

For the okra, in a medium sauté pan, heat ½ tablespoon of peanut oil (or other neutral oil) on high heat. Add in okra; make sure not to add too much okra to one pan. You want to have all the pieces touching the bottom of the pan. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, keeping the okra moving through the cooking process. Finish with 1 teaspoon butter and salt to taste. Add in the tomato “gravy” and lemon zest.

Fans of bacon: Cut two slices of bacon into medium dice. Crisp in a sauté pan over medium heat. Use the bacon fat as a substitute for olive oil when cooking the tomatoes. Garnish with crisp bacon when serving.

Need to make an appointment with a Piedmont physician? Save time, book online.