Chicken Bamiyeh

Notes: Based on the Beef Bamiyeh recipes in The Best Traditional Recipes of Greek Cooking, and Claudia Roden's Jewish cookbooks. Serve bamiyeh hot over rice. Serves 6.

Ingredients

Splash of olive oil to coat bottom of pot

2 onions, finely diced

2 Tbsp. minced garlic

~3 lbs. boneless chicken (cut up boneless breasts or thighs into bite-sized chunks)

1 ripe tomato

1 large (or 2 medium) eggplant

2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

2 Tbsp. parsley (fresh or dried)

20 oz cut frozen okra, thawed

6 oz. white vinegar

1 tsp salt

Mise en Place

Thaw okra on the counter while preparing everything else.

Dice onions. Mince garlic (if not using bottled minced).

Dice tomato. Peel and dice eggplant.

Wash fresh parsley and remove leaves (discard stems). Chop parsley leaves.

Directions

Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven. Saute onions and minced garlic in oil for ~5 minutes. Add chicken chunks; stir occasionally until golden brown. Once chicken is lightly browned, add tomato, eggplant, parsley, salt, and pepper. Allow this to boil (uncovered on medium heat) for 2 hours.

While that is simmering, prepare the okra by placing thawed okra in a glass (not metal nor plastic) bowl with the vinegar and 1 tsp. salt. Let stand (mixing occasionally) until about 30 minutes before the meat finishes cooking. At that time, drain okra (do not rinse) and mix them in with the chicken and veg. Continue cooking for 30 min over low heat, uncovered. (Turn on the rice about 20 minutes before serving.)