Cou-cou, cou-cou

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By now, I know someone somewhere must be asking "what kinda Bajan blog dis is and she ain't write bout cou-cou yet?" After all, cou-cou is our national dish. Thing is, cou-cou is one of those dishes which you either love or hate. We love it but I don't cook it regularly! The reason most people hate cou-cou is usually attributed to the okras and it is for this exact same reason I love cou-cou. I am one of those people who must have a tonne of okras in the cou-cou, it must be super mellow, just sliding down the throat. Lucky for me, one of my farming neighbours reaped in lots of okras and I was passing by at the right moment to receive two pounds. Today I used half for cou-cou the other will make my daughter and I happy later this week in okra slush.
First I gathered my ingredients together.


Fresh okras
Corn Meal

I had never used this brand before, it was a gift and I loved it. Will definitely be looking for this even though it was not very yellow at the end!
Now my secret for easy cou-cou lies in boiling the okras ahead of time and allowing them to cool thoroughly. I learned this from a neighbour in NY sometime back and it really makes a load of difference. It eliminates all that cumbersome stirring or "turning" in hot water which can easily lead to lumps and who likes lumpy cou-cou? NOONE.
After cooking, separate the okras and the water. You will know the okras are cooked once the seeds turn pink. I divide the okras again because I must have okras with lime and salt with my cou-cou!
I use a whisk to "beat" my okras for the pot and also to stir the meal into the water initially. And of course the cou-cou stick!
 
I sieve my meal into a portion of the okra water and mix with the whisk. Using low heat, I cover the pot and allow the cou-cou to come together. Once all of the water is gone, I stir the meal a few times (literally), add a bit more water and cover. 



I repeat this step a few times trying not to disturb it too much (can lead to lumps), just cover it and let it cook/steam. Once I am pleased with the texture I go ahead and add my okras, letting this cook just a little  longer. I reserve some of the water to dip my spoon for easy serving (no sticking here, no butter either).
Today I served my cou-cou with marlin, a delicate fish that cannot be overcooked or it turns to rubber.
And all done.....


 This was super filling after a light and delightful breakfast
Yes, still using those avocados!

The yellow stuff on the bread is a locally made sunflower cheese. YUMMM!


What a delicious day, good night Bim.









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