Mpamies me Mpakaliaro is Greek stewed okra dish cooked on the stove top until tender and then the fish is cooked in the stew.
Okra with fish is a specialty of the Greek islands.
I remember years ago seeing a Greek cooking show making this recipe and I have been wanting to make it ever since.
The recipe used whole fish with the bones, I think it was sea bass, and that was probably what put me off as I hate having to remove bones from the fish, especially if it is cooked with something else.
Some other people are put off by the slimy texture of okra which resembles like saliva.
However, if it is cooked properly, this is not the case as then it becomes delicious and has the most delicate taste no other vegetable can replicate.
This time of the season, here in Greece okra are tender and relatively cheap.
If you cannot find fresh okra, frozen okra are equally good and much easier to make as you avoid the peeling procedure, which reduces the preparation time to about ten minutes.
My intention was to cook the meal the traditional way but as I was making the preparation I remembered that the first days I started cooking here at Assini, I had bought some frozen Pollock fillets.
I took two fillets out of the deep freezer and by the time I finished they had already defrosted.
We loved it.
It was so delicious that I made it again the next week, only this time I added four fillets.
Note:
If we want to cook the fish in the oven, cook the okra on the stove top, until tender.
Empty half of the cooked okra in a baking dish
Add the pollock on top and cover with the remaining okra.
Bake in a preheated oven to 180o C for about 20 minutes. If the pollock fillets are thick, bake for 5 more minutes.
If you like okra, I can assure you that this recipe is not only healthy, easy and delicious but also cheap, so give it a try and you will be amazed by its taste.
The weather is still warm and summer is in full-swing here in Greece, around 33 degrees C, so we are lucky to be still enjoying the late summer sun and activities.
It only rained last weekend for a short interval and still have some time to worry how we shall spend the winter without any heating but the fireplace!
I hope this winter won’t be as cold as the last one because if it is, I imagine that we will pack and go back to Athens until next Spring.
Mpamies me Mpakaliaro
Mpamies me Mpakaliaro is Greek stewed okra dish cooked on the stove top until tender and then the fish is cooked in the stew.
Ingredients
- 750 grams okra
- Salt
- 1/2 cup of olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 400 grams (1 can) pumaro concasse or 1 kilo ripe fresh tomatoes, diced
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 600 ml water
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- Salt and pepper
- 1/2 cup parsley, finely chopped
- 4 Pollock fillets
Instructions
- Wash and clean the okra. (See instructions here).
- In a pot heat the olive oil and sauté the onion until translucent. Add the okra and sauté them for 5 -6 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes, tomato paste diluted in water, salt and pepper.
- Bring to a boil, lower heat, cover with the lid and simmer for about half an hour, gently stirring occasionally.
- Add the parsley and gently mix.
- Then add the Pollock and cover with the some okra and sauce.
- Cook for 15 - 20 more minutes.
Nutrition Information
Yield 4 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 449Total Fat 29gSaturated Fat 4gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 24gCholesterol 77mgSodium 352mgCarbohydrates 23gFiber 8gSugar 14gProtein 28g
Greek Okra recipes
More Greek okra recipes:
Okra with pollock fillets
Greek stewed okra (mpamies) are cooked and then the pollock fillets are cooked in the stew.
Kopiaste and Kali Orexi!
Jamie
Tuesday 2nd of October 2012
WOW Ivy, that okra looks amazing! I never see okra here! That dish sounds and looks so delicious I am wondering what I could replace the okra with? Doesn't it help thicken the sauce. Beautiful!
Tammy Howard
Monday 1st of October 2012
I tried this only once in a Greek restaurant in Virginia but I can still feel the taste! Thanks a lot for the recipe.
Masonn Jack
Sunday 30th of September 2012
Really i like this fantastic recipe, which you've express here. And also these pictures are awesome.
ειρηνη
Saturday 29th of September 2012
πεντανOστιμO φαγητO!
Ivy
Saturday 29th of September 2012
ΕυχαριστÏŽ Ειρήνη.
lisaiscooking
Friday 28th of September 2012
I made a similar okra dish recently (from a Greek cookbook), but there was no fish, just vegetables. It sounds so good with the fish fillets. I have to try this next time I have okra!