Soupe aux Gombos ou Okra

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •4-quart heavy saucepan with a tight-fitting lid
• •Fine-mesh skimmer or wide shallow spoon
• •Sharp chef's knife
• •Small saucepan and bowl of cold water for peeling tomatoes

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the cuts

   Score a shallow cross in the base of each tomato, lower them into boiling water for about 20 seconds, then cool them in cold water. Slip off the skins, halve and seed them, then chop them roughly. This is tomato concassé, peeled and seeded tomato cut into rough pieces. Trim the okra caps, pare away any tough shoulders or ridges, and slice the pods diagonally into coarse paysanne triangles. Small tender pods need only trimming; stripping away good flesh would serve nobody. Finish the onion, bacon, chicken, and rice before the butter meets the pan.

2. 2

   Sweat the onion

   Melt the butter in a heavy four-quart saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onion with a small pinch of salt and suer, meaning sweat it gently without colour, for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring often, until soft and translucent. If the butter begins to brown, lift the pan from the heat and stir in a tablespoon of the warm consommé. Ça se rattrape, provided the onion is only blond; a deeply browned onion cannot be made pale again.

3. 3

   Stiffen the meats

   Add the diced bacon or raw ham and cook for 3 minutes, stirring, without crisping or browning it. Add the chicken and raidir, meaning firm the meat gently in the butter, for 4 to 5 minutes. Stir fairly often until every piece looks opaque and slightly tightened at the surface while remaining undercooked inside. Keep the heat moderate. This soup draws its depth from consommé and careful simmering, not a dark fond.

4. 4

   Moisten and simmer

   Pour in the hot white chicken consommé or clear chicken stock, scraping the pan floor gently to release its pale savory film. Bring the soup to a boil, then immediately lower the heat until the surface barely trembles. Cover and cook gently for 20 to 25 minutes. A hard boil toughens the chicken, clouds the broth, and beats its fat into the liquid; lower the heat if the lid begins to rattle.

5. 5

   Cook the okra

   Add the okra and tomato concassé, return the soup to a gentle simmer, and cook partially covered for 18 to 25 minutes, stirring only occasionally. The okra is ready when a triangle yields easily beneath a spoon and the consommé has gained a light, silky body. If it becomes thicker or more ropy than you want, loosen it with warm consommé or water, a quarter cup at a time, and simmer gently for another 3 minutes. Ça se rattrape. Do not whisk it.

6. 6

   Skim and season

   Take the pan from the heat and leave it undisturbed for 3 minutes so the fat rises. Skim the surface carefully with a wide spoon or fine skimmer, preserving the broth beneath. If boiling has dispersed the grease into small beads, let the soup stand another 5 minutes before trying again. Taste only after skimming, then add salt, white pepper, and Worcestershire a few drops at a time. The Worcestershire should sharpen the finish without announcing itself.

7. 7

   Choose the finish

   For the clear version, fold in the plainly cooked rice and warm it for 2 minutes at the barest simmer. For the source's cream finish, first stir in the warmed heavy cream, bring the soup only to the edge of a simmer, then add the rice. Do not boil the creamed soup, since hard heat can dull its smooth texture. Ladle generously into warm bowls, making sure each receives chicken, okra, tomato, and rice. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Choose small, firm okra pods with bright green skins. Large woody pods remain fibrous however long you simmer them. Frozen sliced okra is the honest answer out of season, though it softens more quickly; add it without thawing and begin testing after 12 minutes.
• •The consommé carries most of the bowl, so taste it hot before cooking. If using packaged stock, choose a clear, low-sodium one with no heavy herb flavour, then simmer it briefly on its own if it tastes thin.
• •If fresh tomatoes are pale and woolly, use good canned whole tomatoes. Drain, seed, and roughly chop 1 1/2 cups (360 ml / 360 g); an honest preserved tomato is better than a sad fresh one.
• •The pale cooking is deliberate. Browned onion, crisp bacon, or bronzed chicken would pull the soup toward a darker stew and cover the delicate taste of okra. Gentle heat, not timidity.
• •For the strained service described in the classical entry, cook the soup completely, strain it without pressing the solids, degrease it, and correct the seasoning. Serve the consommé hot or thoroughly chilled in cups; for cold service, remove every trace of set fat before pouring.
• •The cream variation changes the soup from bright and broth-led to round and velvety. Use real heavy cream, warmed before it enters the pot. We don't apologize for butter, and we don't imitate cream with substitutes.

Advance Preparation

• •Prepare the consommé or stock up to three days ahead and keep it cold. Any fat will solidify on the surface and lift away cleanly before the soup begins.
• •The onion, bacon, chicken, okra, and tomatoes can be cut up to 8 hours ahead and refrigerated in separate covered containers. Keep the chicken below the ready-to-eat vegetables.
• •The soup may be cooked a day ahead without the rice or optional cream. Chill it promptly, lift away the set fat, then reheat gently and add the chosen finish. Keep the rice separate so it doesn't swell and drink the consommé overnight.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 350g)