072Chicken with okra

Method

Oven-finished summer tomato braise. Best served warm rather than piping hot, accompanied by crusty bread and a slab of feta.

You will need

• baking dish or casserole
• frying pan
• colander
• paring knife

1. Trim the conical tops of the okra pods carefully with a paring knife so the interior seed pod remains sealed, place them in a wide colander, sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and the red wine vinegar, and leave to stand in the sun or on the counter for 30 minutes. 30 min Ready when: okra releases cloudy moisture without losing firmness
2. Preheat a conventional oven to 190°C (375°F). 10 min · 190°C / 375°F Ready when: oven is ready
3. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a wide frying pan over medium-high heat, season chicken with salt and pepper, and brown thoroughly on both sides, then transfer to a deep baking dish. 8 min Ready when: chicken skin is crisp and browned
4. Rinse the okra gently under cold water, pat thoroughly dry with a tea towel, and sauté in the same pan with 2 tablespoons olive oil for 4 minutes until lightly blistered, then scatter around the chicken. 5 min Ready when: okra bright green and lightly seared
5. Add the remaining olive oil and chopped onion to the pan, softening over medium heat for 5 minutes, then add the garlic and tomato paste, stirring for 1 minute until fragrant. 6 min Ready when: tomato paste deepens in colour
6. Pour in the grated fresh tomatoes, sugar, water, and chopped parsley, seasoning with salt and pepper, and bring to a simmer for 5 minutes. 5 min Ready when: sauce is bubbling and emulsified
7. Pour the hot tomato sauce evenly over the chicken and okra in the baking dish; do not stir with a spoon, but shake the dish gently to distribute liquid. 2 min Ready when: okra and chicken submerged to halfway point
8. Bake uncovered in the oven at 190°C (375°F) without stirring until the okra is completely tender and the sauce has reduced to its oil, about 45 minutes. 45 min · 190°C / 375°F Ready when: oil separates cleanly at the edge and okra is tender without breaking
9. Rest the dish for 15 minutes before serving at warm room temperature. 15 min Ready when: sauce settles into a rich glossy sheen

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Make ahead and storing

Okra can be prepped and vinegar-cured earlier in the day; the assembled cooked dish actually tastes superior several hours later or the following day.

Refrigerate in a covered container for up to 3 days; reheat gently on low heat or eat at room temperature.

Substitutions

• frozen baby okra for fresh okra (bamies). Skip the trimming and vinegar cure; add frozen straight to the sauce without thawing or overhandling.
• tinned chopped tomatoes for ripe summer tomatoes. A reliable substitute when fresh ripe plum tomatoes are not in season.

Common mistakes

• Slicing through the okra seed pods during trimming.. Breaching the inner chambers releases viscous mucilage, turning the sauce ropey and slimy.
• Stirring vigorously with a spoon during cooking.. Okra softens dramatically as it bakes; stirring tears the pods open and ruins the texture of the sauce.

Regional variants

• In parts of Macedonia, fresh mint is often used alongside or in place of parsley.
• On some Aegean islands, the dish is finished entirely on the stovetop inside a covered lidded sauté pan.

About the dish

A quintessential summer dish in Greece, marrying two warm-season staples: tender chicken and peak-season okra in an aromatic tomato and olive oil bath. The hallmark of good Greek okra cookery is the careful cone-trimming of each pod and a brief curing with red wine vinegar and coarse salt in the sun or on the counter, which prevents the pods from shedding mucilage into the sauce. Finished either entirely on the stove or baked in the oven until the sauce settles into its oil (ladera style).

Found in all of Greece. Cooked for everyday, summer.

Cousins elsewhere

• Tavuklu bamya (Turkish). Chicken braised with fresh okra, onions, and ripe tomatoes.
• Bamya bil dajaj (Levantine). Chicken stewed with okra, coriander, and tomato.

Nutrition per serving (estimate)

771 kcal · protein 46.7 g · fat 55.3 g (saturated 12.5 g) · carbohydrate 22.9 g (sugars 8.4 g) · fibre 7.3 g · sodium 183 mg

An estimate (summed from ingredient estimates) that varies with the exact ingredients. It is not dietary advice.

Written fresh by Epikouria editors from general culinary tradition. Recipe by the Epikouria editors. Classical summer ladera home-cooking tradition across mainland and island Greece..