STILL ANOTHER SOUTHERN DISH SHROUDED IN mystery is this simple Cajun concoction, which can be traced back three hundred years and which, today, is often enriched throughout Louisiana with everything from crawfish to chicken to spicy tasso ham. You won’t find this dish mentioned in even the most comprehensive food dictionaries, much less in any all purpose cookbook, and had not the legendary Commander’s Palace in New Orleans almost singlehandedly revived maque choux years ago, chances are it would have simply disappeared from restaurant menus. This rather sophisticated recipe (adapted from the Commander’s version) is for plain vegetable maque choux, intended to be served as a side dish to roasted or grilled meats and poultry. If you’d like to transform it into an unusual main course for four, simply add about 2 cups of diced cooked chicken, cured ham, or raw shrimp and adjust the amount of water accordingly.
MAKES: 6 to 8 servings
INGREDIENTS:
- 1/2 pound bacon, cut into small pieces
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1 small green bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 small hot chile pepper, seeded and minced
- 1/4 pound small fresh okra (stems removed), cut into rounds
- 8 ears fresh corn, shucked, kernels removed, and milk scraped from the cobs and reserved
- 1/4 cup water
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 4 scallions (part of green tops included), chopped
- 1 tablespoon butter
INSTRUCTIONS:
- In a large, heavy skillet over moderate heat, fry the bacon until crisp. Drain the bacon on paper towels and set it aside.
- Add the chopped onion, bell pepper, minced garlic, and minced chile pepper to the skillet. Cook, stirring, for about 3 minutes.
- Add the okra, corn kernels, reserved corn milk, water, salt, and black pepper to the skillet. Reduce the heat to low, cover the skillet, and simmer, stirring once or twice, until the vegetables are tender, for about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cooked vegetables to a serving dish.
- Stir in the chopped scallions and butter into the cooked vegetables.
- Garnish the top of the dish with the reserved crispy bacon.
