Annie Gailliard’s Okra Gumbo | A passed-down Southern recipe for a Jewish table!

Submitted by Lyssa Kligman Harvey

In Stanley Dry’s interview A Short History of Gumbo for the Southern Foodway Alliance, he notes, “Of all the dishes in the realm of Louisiana cooking, gumbo is the most famous and, very likely, the most popular. Gumbo crosses all class barriers, appearing on the tables of the poor as well as the wealthy. Gumbo is often cited as an example of the melting-pot nature of Louisiana cooking, but trying to sort out the origins and evolution of the dish is highly speculative. The name derives from a West African word for okra, suggesting that gumbo was originally made with okra.”

Lyssa's version of Okra Gumbo

Thanksgiving is a wonderful American tradition of gratitude with feasting and festivities that for us means sharing the day (from early afternoon into the evening) with family and friends. Now that Jonathan and I host the meal, I love to set a fancy Fall table and prepare the turkey and a couple of my favorite dishes. Family members bring their Thanksgiving meal specialties – a mix of Jewish recipes and southern foods: challah, turkey, corn pudding, mac and cheese, sweet potato casserole, apple pie, and rugelach. This year I will add Annie Gailliard’s (OBM) recipe for okra gumbo!

Annie Gailliard (1904-2003) lived in Charleston, S.C, with her husband, Walter Gailliard, and their children, Walter Jr., Elizabeth, and Lorraine. They lived in the building next door to (and shared a backyard with) my grandparents, Joe and Mildred Reznick Firetag, at the intersection of St. Phillip and Morris streets. At the time, St. Phillip was home to many Jewish and Black families. Annie began working for my grandparents in 1933. She was an excellent cook! My aunt, Lynda Firetag Denberg, recalls her delicious fried chicken, macaroni salad, and okra gumbo - just a few of the Southern foods she introduced to our family. Aside from my grandmother’s requirement that she keep kosher, Annie controlled the kitchen, cooking three meals a day. She eventually moved to Concord Street and became known in her neighborhood for selling chilly bears in little Dixie Cups and sweet potato pies. Annie was an active member of Mother Emmanuel AME church on Calhoun Street. She lived to be 99 years old, and I attended her funeral with Lynda and other family members. All of her family members, including a granddaughter, Rita, have since passed away.

Annie Gailliard, Charleston, SC

Annie shared her recipe for okra gumbo with my Aunt Lynda, who subsequently shared it with me. Lynda is my mother, Helene’s Firetag Kligman’s (OBM), youngest sister. Only ten years older than me, she is and has always been my favorite aunt. After leaving home, she didn’t know how to cook, and this recipe was one of several Annie later shared with her. Like many great cooks Annie cooked by taste, and so none of her recipes were written down. For our family, she kept the dish kosher, which meant no bacon or bacon grease. Instead, she used vegetable oil to sauté the vegetables. She might have made this gumbo for her own family a little differently! Not all okra gumbo recipes call for the beans, but Annie’s recipe includes baby lima beans. Although traditional gumbos have a roux base, Annie’s recipe is more like a succotash, but she—and our family—have always called it okra gumbo.

Lyssa Kligman Harvey and her Aunt Lynda Firetag Denberg in Sicily

Lynda changed the recipe slightly by using a mix of fresh and frozen vegetables and adding a dollop of ketchup. Lynda always made this recipe for the Friday night Sabbath meal, and it still is a family favorite. I have given the recipe a Jewish touch with a dollop of schmaltz (chicken fat) and olive oil, served with a Jewish grain dish called kasha varnikes, rather than white rice. I am excited about serving this passed down “told” recipe for our Thanksgiving meal. I hope it lives up to Annie’s and Lynda’s long-loved recipe.

Fresh SC vegetables for Okra Gumbo

Annie Gailliard’s Okra Gumbo

Annie Gailliard shared this recipe with my Aunt Lynda Firetag Denberg who then told it to me. It was a “spoken” recipe until now.

• A pound of fresh okra, chopped

• 3 Ears of fresh corn, cooked and corn taken off the cob

• 1 pound of baby lima beans (fresh or frozen)

• 1 large can of diced tomatoes or 4 fresh tomatoes diced\

• 1 large onions, chopped

• 1 close of garlic, crushed

• Olive oil, substituted for vegetable oil

• A couple of dollops of ketchup

• A dab of schmaltz (rendered chicken fat)

• Salt and pepper to taste

In a large heavy skillet cover the bottom with olive oil and a dab of schmaltz. Cook on stovetop on medium to high temperature.

Caramelize onions and garlic together. Put aside.

Sauté chopped okra on medium temperature to get off the slime. Cook until tender.

Add corn and lima beans to okra, stir until well mixed and cook until tender.

Add the tomatoes and the dollop of ketchup.

Salt and pepper to taste.

Recipe Notes:

• Not all recipes call for lima beans in the Okra Gumbo. Annie and Lynda’s recipe calls for lima beans.

• The okra gets very slimy when you cut it. Sautéing the okra over high heat or blanching it prior to sautéing can lessen the slime. Or you can soak the okra in vinegar for ½ hour efore cutting. Rinse and pat dry. This will eliminate the slime before you cut it.

• Annie used vegetable oil to sauté the onions and okra. I add “schmaltz” chicken fat to give it extra flavor with a Jewish touch!