For a pleasant weekend breakfast, slice
and fry leftover Cou-Cou and serve it with your favorite syrup.
Cou-Cou
(Caribbean Polenta)
- 2 cups yellow cornmeal
1/2 pound fresh okra or 1 package frozen cut okra
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) butter or margarine
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups water
- Clean and wash okra. Dice all but 6. Add
3 cups of water to a large saucepan. Add salt. Boil. Add diced
and whole okra. Boil okra for 5-8 minutes. Remove pan from heat.
Save whole okra aside for garnish. Measure 2 cups of liquid from
the cooked okra to use for cooking your cou-cou.\
- Mix cornmeal in a large bowl with enough
cold water to moisten and blend it together. Stir the cornmeal
slowly into the reserved liquid and okra in the pot. Use a wooden
spoon to mix together. Return pot to stove over medium heat and
continue to stir okra and cornmeal. Cook and stir about 15 to
20 minutes.
- Insert wooden spoon into center of the
cou-cou. If spoon stands up in the pot and is easily removed
from cornmeal, your cou-cou is done. Cou-cou should be firm when
it's done. If the cou-cou is loose and creamy looking, you have
used too much water. If too much water is used, let cou-cou stand
uncovered over low heat to "dry out." When Cou-Cou
is done, turn the entire mixture into a buttered serving bowl
and garnish with whole okra. Serve with sauce made of steamed
codfish or Frizz
Fish and cucumber salad.
Makes 6 to 8 servings.
Note: Refrigerate leftover cou-cou.
Recipe property of Nyla Morrison, author
of "Minna Cooks Caribbean". Used with permission.
