Cornmeal Coo Coo
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound fresh okra
- 2 cups water
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal
- 2 tablespoons butter, softened
Directions
Without okra, this recipe from the southern United States is the same as Aruban funchi.
Scrape okra skins slightly to remove any surface fuzz. Cut of stems and slice into 1/4"rounds. Combine okra, water and salt in large pan and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer 10 minutes until okra is tender but not mushy. Add cornmeal in a stream, stirring constantly. Continue cooking and stirring over low heat until mixture is thick enough to pull away from the bottom and the sides of the pan in a solid mass, about 5 minutes. Turn out onto a large plate and shape mixture into a round cake 1" thick and 8" in diameter. Spread top with softened butter. Cut into wedges to serve.
The San Francisco way:
Cut cooked coo coo into finger sized strips and fry in butter in skillet until crisp. Dip into milk-softened Gorgonzola cheese for parties or snacking.