Maque Choux

By ltrodrigu

Ingredients

• 3 slices lean bacon, coarsely chopped (optional)
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for sautéing
• 1 large green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and diced
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme, crushed
• 1 large bay leaf
• 1/2 pound small okra pods, sliced (optional)
• 1 16-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes or 1 pound fresh tomatoes, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped
• A few drops of Tabasco sauce or 1 small hot chili, seeded and diced (optional)
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 4 medium ears of corn, husked and kernels removed

Details

Servings 4
Adapted from wsj.com

Preparation

Step 1

Fry bacon, if using, in a heavy 2-quart casserole or saucepan over medium heat until fat is completely rendered and bacon is beginning to turn golden brown.

Add butter to pan and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Stir in green peppers and onions and sprinkle with salt. (If pan is too dry for sautéing, add a little more butter or some olive oil.) Decrease heat to low, and sauté, stirring frequently, until vegetables are soft but have not browned, about 7-8 minutes.

Add garlic, thyme, bay leaf and okra, if using. Sauté, stirring gently but almost constantly, until okra stops “stringing” (extruding slimy strings), 7-8 minutes. If you aren’t using okra, sauté until garlic softens, about 2 minutes.

Meanwhile, crush tomatoes and strain over a fine-mesh sieve, reserving liquid. Add crushed tomatoes to vegetables along with Tabasco and several grinds of pepper. Simmer slowly over medium heat until okra and other vegetables are thoroughly cooked and tomatoes have broken down into a light sauce. Add reserved tomato liquid as needed to keep vegetables from burning.

Add corn kernels to vegetables and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently until flavors meld, 10-15 minutes. Before serving, adjust seasoning as needed and remove bay leaf. (Stew will keep, covered, in refrigerator for up to 4 days.)