Gumbo
Naz Deravian
415 ratings with an average rating of 4 out of 5 stars
415
4 hours 15 minutes
Fungi
- Total Time
- 15 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:4 servings
- ⅓cup sliced fresh or frozen okra
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1cup fine yellow cornmeal
- ¼cup chilled unsalted butter (½ stick), cut into chunks
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
250 calories; 12 grams fat; 7 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 3 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 32 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 1 gram sugars; 3 grams protein; 144 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered byPreparation
- Step 1
In a medium saucepan, bring 2¼ cups water to a boil over medium-high.
- Step 2
When water reaches a rolling boil, add okra and 2 teaspoons salt. Cook over medium-high until softened, about 4 minutes.
- Step 3
Slowly and carefully, pour half the cornmeal into the water while whisking to prevent lumps. It will get very thick very quickly.
- Step 4
Once the mixture is smooth, add the remaining cornmeal and the butter, whisking vigorously to combine.
- Step 5
When smooth, taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. If you’d like it a little thinner, whisk additional water into the mixture. Serve hot.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
stefanie
My mother, from Curacao, would put leftover plain fungi in greased bowl, refrigerate overnight. Fungi becomes solid, unmold, slice, fry in butter, and serve with syrup for breakfast the next morning!
barbara gill
In Barbados this is called coo coo
Keith
Sliced, boiled Okra. Grits and polenta don’t have Okra. If you mean what’s the difference between grits, polenta and yellow cornmeal, it can be the grind and/or what color corn, white, yellow, blue, was used to make it.
Mary from Terry, MS
It's grits, first cooked by Native Americans, who taught the British to make it. The British called it grits. Italians called it polenta. You can add virtually anything to it - grits and shrimp, grits and vegetables, grits with ham and cheese, etc. It is a staple of southern US food and so simple to make that I'm surprised young people from the Islands don't know how to cook it.
George
People are calling this grits . It's not. Grits are typically made from more coarsely-ground cornmeal. This uses fine cornmeal and requires okra as an ingredient. Both of those things make this taste and feel very different from standard southern grits.
Botany Boy
Traditionally grits were ground from corn hominy, corn that had been soaked in wood-ash lye to dissolve the seed coat and soften the kernel. The kernel can be soaked loose and removed if you wanted a beautiful preparation, but that removes a lot of nutrition too. Polenta and cornmeal are not treated before grinding. Today some recipes, and even my bag of Bob's Red Mill grits, pretend there is no difference between them.
Al
Add 1/2 of the cornmeal to the same water as the okra very very slowly to reduce lumpiness. Then on to step 3.
Martha
Most useful tip to prevent lumpy polenta- like dishes: Stir only clockwise ( or anti - clockwise ). Do not change direction!
lori
Too much salt. Next time only putting in one tsp.
lori
Too much salt. Next time only putting in one tsp.
Helen_Wheels
Cut butter to 1 1/2 tbsp.
David
Where is the fungus in the fungi?
David Jackson
And how is it pronounced? "Fun Guy"? "Fun Ghee"? "Fun Jee"?
Martha
Most useful tip to prevent lumpy polenta- like dishes: Stir only clockwise ( or anti - clockwise ). Do not change direction!
dsmith1010
This is easy to make and a delicious side for fish or chicken. Also followed the advice below and fried leftovers for breakfast with an egg on top. Super. Have been to Petite Pump Room many times waiting for the ferry to Tortola, but never had the time to have more than a sandwich. Happy to see the restaurant owners and Chef Jackson get some publicity!
Shari
What are you supposed to do with the okra? Step 2 says to cook it, then it isn't mentioned again.
Al
Add 1/2 of the cornmeal to the same water as the okra very very slowly to reduce lumpiness. Then on to step 3.
Tim
Would this work with millet instead of corn?
Audrey Carangelo
I've had this with smashed avocado mixed in instead of okra a real treat
Carol
Is the cornmeal served barely cooked? I thought it took more than a few minutes for cornmeal to cook and lose its grittiness.
George
People are calling this grits . It's not. Grits are typically made from more coarsely-ground cornmeal. This uses fine cornmeal and requires okra as an ingredient. Both of those things make this taste and feel very different from standard southern grits.
Afi
Thanks George. This isn't grits at all. It's not polenta either.
geoff
Not quite George...southern grits are made from dried hominy. Which is corn dried with lye....very different than cornmeal.
Mary Carroll
What's the difference between this and polenta other than the okra? What does okra add to the dish other than it's sliminess?
David Allman
Okra "slimyness" is just liquid fiber and helps the coucou set up more firmly - also adding a bit of taste. Coucou itself is quite bland but is a terrific vehicle for Creole sauce (as in steamed flying fish).
Nina
If okra get slimy you usually overcooked them. I don't know if this dish requires it here, though.
Betty
What’s the difference between this and grits and polenta?
Keith
Sliced, boiled Okra. Grits and polenta don’t have Okra. If you mean what’s the difference between grits, polenta and yellow cornmeal, it can be the grind and/or what color corn, white, yellow, blue, was used to make it.
Botany Boy
Traditionally grits were ground from corn hominy, corn that had been soaked in wood-ash lye to dissolve the seed coat and soften the kernel. The kernel can be soaked loose and removed if you wanted a beautiful preparation, but that removes a lot of nutrition too. Polenta and cornmeal are not treated before grinding. Today some recipes, and even my bag of Bob's Red Mill grits, pretend there is no difference between them.
Botany Boy
I meant that the germ, which is often dark colored, could be removed from the kernel.
Mary from Terry, MS
It's grits, first cooked by Native Americans, who taught the British to make it. The British called it grits. Italians called it polenta. You can add virtually anything to it - grits and shrimp, grits and vegetables, grits with ham and cheese, etc. It is a staple of southern US food and so simple to make that I'm surprised young people from the Islands don't know how to cook it.
Bill Holland
Grits is coarsely ground corn, compared to finely ground cornmeal. We get our grits ground fresh from the Logan Turnpike Mill in Georgia. They take 30 minutes to cook and soften. The recipe here specifies cornmeal and says it will get thick very quickly, so it doesn’t sound as if you could substitute grits, unless they are the awful tasting quick grits from a supermarket box.
Afi
Sorry, Mary. This isn't grits. Neither is it polenta. The corn is processed differently. #Tennessean who grew up on grits and loves polenta.
Mary from Terry, MS
This is just grits, first cooked by Native Americans who taught the British to make it. It is a staple porridge in the American South and is called polenta by Italians. Shrimp and grits, cheesy grits, grits and eggs, grits with ham, grits and blackeyed peas, etc. Adding okra is a nice touch and probably the only African contribution to the dish.
Nadina Cole-Potter
It's cornmeal mush w/okra. Mine: 2 C water, 2 C milk, 1 C cornmeal, 1.5 tsp kosher salt. When cornmeal has thickened, add 2 beaten eggs, 1 c shredded sharp cheese tempered with some cooked cornmeal. Stir and bake until eggs and cheese are "absorbed". Add diced Mexican squash (looks like zucchini but is firmer and tastes better) at the last 5 minutes to retain some firmness.
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