Chef Remy
Alligator Sauce Piquante
Chunks of tender gator swimming in a brick-red tomato sauce with enough heat to make you reach for your sweet tea, spooned over rice the way the old Cajun trappers ate it after a long day on the bayou.
Culinary Explorer
A cooking platform built around craft, culture, and the stories behind what we eat.
Smothered Okra with Shrimp
Created by Chef Remy
Fresh Louisiana okra smothered low and slow until silky and sweet, finished with plump Gulf shrimp and served over steaming rice, the kind of dish that makes you want to call your mama.
Soups & Stews
Cajun
Weeknight
Comfort Food
25 min
Active Time
1 hr cook•1 hr 25 min total
Yield6 servings
Smothering is the bayou way of coaxing magic out of vegetables. You take okra, which most folks complain about for its texture, and you cook it low and slow until all that stringiness transforms into something silky and sweet. This is patience made edible.
My grandmother Evangeline grew okra in her garden every summer. She would cut it fresh in the morning while the dew was still on, and by dinner it had become this: a pot of tender pods swimming in a rich, tomatoey sauce with the holy trinity singing underneath. When I opened Lagniappe, this dish went on the menu opening night. It has never left.
The secret is time and heat control. You cannot rush smothered okra. The pods need to cook down slowly, releasing their moisture, breaking down those compounds that make raw okra stringy. Add your shrimp at the very end so they stay plump and sweet. Season in layers. Taste as you go. Trust your palate. When that first bite hits your tongue and you close your eyes without meaning to, you have done it right.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
fresh okra
Quantity
2 pounds
stems trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch rounds
large Gulf shrimp (21-25 count)
Quantity
1 1/2 pounds
peeled and deveined
Cajun seasoning
Quantity
1 tablespoon, divided
unsalted butter
Quantity
4 tablespoons
vegetable oil
Quantity
2 tablespoons
yellow onion
Quantity
1 large
diced
celery stalks
Quantity
2
diced
green bell pepper
Quantity
1 medium
diced
garlic cloves
Quantity
4
minced
diced tomatoes
Quantity
1 can (14.5 ounces)
with juices
chicken stock
Quantity
1 cup
kosher salt
Quantity
1 teaspoon, plus more to taste
black pepper
Quantity
1/2 teaspoon
freshly ground
cayenne pepper
Quantity
1/4 teaspoon, or to taste
bay leaves
Quantity
2
fresh thyme leaves
Quantity
1 teaspoon
green onions
Quantity
3
sliced thin, whites and greens separated
fresh parsley
Quantity
2 tablespoons
chopped
hot sauce (optional)
Quantity
for serving
cooked white rice
Quantity
for serving
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| fresh okrastems trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch rounds | 2 pounds |
| large Gulf shrimp (21-25 count)peeled and deveined | 1 1/2 pounds |
| Cajun seasoning | 1 tablespoon, divided |
| unsalted butter | 4 tablespoons |
| vegetable oil | 2 tablespoons |
| yellow oniondiced | 1 large |
| celery stalksdiced | 2 |
| green bell pepperdiced | 1 medium |
| garlic clovesminced | 4 |
| diced tomatoeswith juices | 1 can (14.5 ounces) |
| chicken stock | 1 cup |
| kosher salt | 1 teaspoon, plus more to taste |
| black pepperfreshly ground | 1/2 teaspoon |
| cayenne pepper | 1/4 teaspoon, or to taste |
| bay leaves | 2 |
| fresh thyme leaves | 1 teaspoon |
| green onionssliced thin, whites and greens separated | 3 |
| fresh parsleychopped | 2 tablespoons |
| hot sauce (optional) | for serving |
| cooked white rice | for serving |
Equipment Needed
- •12-inch cast iron skillet or Dutch oven
- •Wooden spoon
- •Sharp knife for cutting okra
Instructions
- 1
Season the shrimp
Place the peeled shrimp in a bowl and season with half the Cajun seasoning. Toss to coat evenly, then set aside in the refrigerator while you work on the okra. This is building flavor from the start, letting those spices wake up and penetrate the shrimp.
Gulf shrimp are worth seeking out. The flavor is sweeter and cleaner than imported shrimp. Ask your fishmonger where they come from. - 2
Start the smother
Heat a large cast iron skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the butter and oil together. When the butter foams and the foam subsides, add the okra in a single layer as much as possible. Let it sit undisturbed for 2 to 3 minutes until you see browning on the bottom. Stir, then let it sit again. You are driving off moisture and building flavor.
Do not crowd the pan. If your skillet is small, work in batches. Crowded okra steams instead of sears, and you want that caramelization. - 3
Cook the okra down
Reduce heat to medium-low. Continue cooking the okra, stirring every few minutes, for 15 to 20 minutes. You will notice the stringiness starting to break down and the okra becoming more tender. The color deepens. Some pieces will get dark spots. This is good. This is where the magic happens.
- 4
Build the trinity base
Push the okra to the edges of the pan and add a bit more butter to the center if the pan looks dry. Add the onion, celery, bell pepper, and the white parts of the green onions. Season with the remaining Cajun seasoning, salt, and black pepper. Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables soften and the onions turn translucent, about 8 minutes. The kitchen should smell like Louisiana.
The holy trinity is the foundation of Cajun cooking: onion, celery, and bell pepper in roughly equal parts. It is our version of the French mirepoix. - 5
Add tomatoes and aromatics
Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Pour in the diced tomatoes with all their juices. Add the chicken stock, cayenne, bay leaves, and thyme. Stir everything together, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Those bits are pure flavor.
- 6
Simmer until silky
Reduce heat to low, cover the pot, and let it simmer for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. The okra should become completely tender, almost melting into the sauce. The tomatoes will break down and the liquid will reduce to a thick, coating consistency. Taste and adjust seasoning. Add more salt or cayenne if it needs it. Trust your palate.
If the mixture gets too thick before the okra is silky, add a splash more stock. If it is too thin, remove the lid and let it reduce for the last 10 minutes. - 7
Finish with shrimp
Remove the bay leaves. Nestle the seasoned shrimp into the okra mixture, distributing them evenly. Cover and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until the shrimp are pink, curled, and just cooked through. They will finish cooking in the residual heat, so pull them when they still look barely translucent in the thickest part. Overcooked shrimp are a tragedy.
Shrimp cook fast. If you walk away, you will come back to rubber. Stay at the stove for these final minutes. - 8
Serve generously
Remove from heat and fold in the green onion tops and parsley. Taste one more time and adjust if needed. Spoon generous portions over hot white rice in deep bowls. Pass the hot sauce at the table for those who want extra heat. This is the bayou way: generous, honest, and made with love.
Chef Tips
- •Buy okra that is bright green, firm, and no longer than your finger. Large okra can be woody and tough. At Lagniappe, we get ours fresh from local farms every morning during summer.
- •The slime everyone complains about is caused by mucilage, a natural compound. Cooking okra dry over high heat, then long and slow with acid from tomatoes, breaks it down completely. Do not skip the initial browning step.
- •If you cannot find fresh okra, frozen works in a pinch. Do not thaw it first. Add the frozen okra directly to the hot pan and let it sear. The extra moisture will cook off.
- •This dish tastes even better the next day after the flavors have married. Make the okra base ahead and add fresh shrimp when you reheat.
- •For a heartier version, add sliced andouille sausage with the trinity. Brown it first to render the fat, then build your dish in that flavorful oil.
Advance Preparation
- •The smothered okra base (without shrimp) can be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated. The flavors will deepen and improve.
- •Add shrimp only when reheating to serve. Bring the okra to a simmer, add the seasoned shrimp, cover, and cook for 4 to 5 minutes.
- •The complete dish does not freeze well because the shrimp become tough. Freeze the okra base alone for up to 2 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 330g)
Calories
290 calories
Total Fat
13 g
Saturated Fat
6 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
7 g
Cholesterol
190 mg
Sodium
1060 mg
Total Carbohydrates
18 g
Dietary Fiber
6 g
Sugars
4 g
Protein
28 g
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