Kardea Brown’s Okra Soup with Shrimp
South Carolina Native and Food Network Star Kardea Brown honors the Gullah cuisine and her family’s traditions with her recipe for Okra Soup with Shrimp. While this recipe is filled with delicious vegetables (you can use fresh or frozen), spices, and aromatics, one of the main components is the fresh shrimp stock. Once you make this stock, you will never throw shrimp shells away again. Whenever you use fresh shrimp, remember to save the shells in a plastic container or bag and just keep them in the freezer until you have accumulated enough to make a batch of stock – which also freezes well. Pan-roasted, fried, or added to stews, Southerners love okra many different ways. Many people, however, don’t like to cook with okra because it is slimy, but how you prep the okra will determine how slimy it gets. Water enhances the sliminess so don’t wash the okra until you are ready to cook it. Let the okra sit at room temperature for a while before using it. Or, if you use frozen okra, cut it while it is still frozen to reduce the amount of slime.,