Smoked Okra Dip Recipe

By Jerrelle Guy
Published on November 12, 2019
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I remember summertime days in Alabama, being little, watching Big Ma sit at a round, low-rise, wooden table with her sister, the both of them talking mess while they prepped a bowl of okra for frying. She’d cut the tops off the raw okra by just holding one in her hands, pressing her thumb against the top and cutting up against her thumb with a paring knife, as if her thumb were a cutting board. I’d think about how thick her skin must’ve been for it to be able to come up against the edge of a blade without getting sliced open. Then I’d watch her as she’d bread and fry her okra to mask the sliminess from the starch inside. I’ve found that pairing it with something equally as gooey, like melted cheese, makes the texture just as easy to swallow.

Egg-free, gluten-free
Makes 2 cups (480 g)

Ingredients:

  • 8 okra pods
  • 2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil, plus more for drizzling
  • 1 shallot, diced
  • 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 (8-oz) package cream cheese, softened
  • 1/3 cup (80 g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
  • 2 tbsp (28 g) mayonnaise (optional)
  • 1 tsp mild hot sauce
  • 3/4 cup (90 g) shredded smoked Gouda, divided
  • 1/2 cup (60 g) shredded mozzarella
  • Paprika, for sprinkling

Method:

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celsius or gas mark 6) and have two 8-ounce (228-g) ramekins or one 16-ounce (455-g) ramekin nearby.
  2. Trim the tops off the okra and slice them in half lengthwise and then again in half widthwise. Set them aside. 
  3. In a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil. Add the diced shallot, cooking until it softens a bit, about 3 minutes, stirring often. Add the crushed red pepper flakes, the quartered okra and salt and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring often, for another 3 to 4 minutes, or until the okra begins to soften slightly. Remove from the heat and set aside.
  4. In a large bowl, combine the cream cheese, yogurt, mayonnaise (if using), hot sauce, 1/2 cup (60 g) of the smoked Gouda, mozzarella and more salt and pepper to taste. Fold in the cooked okra and shallots, and then transfer the mixture to the ramekins. Sprinkle the tops with the remaining 1/4 cup (30 g) of Gouda and paprika and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the cheese melts and the top gets a little crusty. Serve warm with your favorite chips. I like blue tortilla chips.

Also from Black Girl Baking:

For Jerrelle Guy, food has always been what has shaped her ? her body, her character, her experiences and her palate. Growing up as the sensitive, slightly awkward child of three in a race-conscious space, she decided early on that she’d rather spend her time eating cookies and honey buns than taking on the weight of worldly issues. It helped her see that good food is the most powerful way to connect, understand and heal. Inspired by this realization, each one of her recipes tells a story. Orange Peel Pound Cake brings back memories of summer days eating Florida oranges at Big Ma’s house, Rosketti cookies reimagine the treats her mother ate growing up in Guam, and Plaited Dukkah Bread parallels the braids worked into her hair as a child. Jerrelle leads you on a sensual baking journey using the five senses, retelling and reinventing food memories while using ingredients that make her feel more in control and more connected to the world and the person she has become. Whole flours, less refined sugar and vegan alternatives make it easier to celebrate those sweet moments that made her who she is today.

Reprinted with permission from Black Girl Baking: Wholesome Recipes Inspired by a Soulful Upbringing by Jerrelle Guy, Page Street Publishing Co. 2018. Photo credit: Jerrelle Guy.

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