Spicy Pickled Okra Martini
Author: Virginia Willis
Ingredients
- 2 pounds medium okra pods
- 4 small dried chiles
- 2 teaspoons yellow mustard seed
- 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
- 8 cloves garlic peeled
- 4 cups distilled white vinegar
- 2 cups water
- 2 tablespoons pickling salt
Instructions
- Wash the okra and trim the stems to 1/2 inch. Place 1 chile, 1/2 teaspoon mustard seed, 1/4 teaspoon peppercorns, and 2 cloves of garlic in the bottom of each of 4 sterilized pint-sized canning jars. Divide the okra evenly among the jars, placing the pods vertically, alternating stems up and down.
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring the vinegar, water, and salt to a boil. Carefully pour the boiling mixture over the okra in the jars, leaving 1/4 inch of headroom between the top of the liquid and the lid. Seal the lids.
- Process the jars in a boiling-water canner for 15 minutes. Store the unopened jars at room temperature for up to 1 year. Once the jars are opened, store in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.
- Variation: For refrigerator pickles, skip the boiling-water canner and refrigerate for up to 1 month.
For the Dirty Martini; splash .5 ounce of Okra Brine into your favorite martini recipe and garnish with pickled okra.
Virginia Willis’ Okra and Tomatoes
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup white wine
1 1/2 pounds okra, stems trimmed, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
4 large tomatoes, cored, seeded and chopped
3 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves, preferably fresh
Coarse kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Heat the oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the onions and cook, stirring, until soft and translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 45 to 60 seconds. Add the wine and cook until reduced by half, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the okra, red pepper flakes, tomatoes, thyme and bay leaves. Season with salt and pepper. Cover, decrease the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the okra is just tender, about 15 minutes. Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.
Virginia Willis is a James Beard award-winning cookbook author, television personality, content creator, motivational speaker, and social media influencer.
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