Go ahead and taste this Guyanese saltfish and okra fry down. It will surprise you, for there is nothing slippery about it at all.
My memory of frying okra carries the scent of the 1970s in Guyana, when we had no choice but to eat one hundred percent local. With rolling blackouts in a country punished for choosing socialism, we learned to preserve what we had: smoked fish, salted fish, dried shrimps, salted beef, salted pork.
I remember sliced okra drying on tin roofs under the tropical sun when my sister would lay it out at 8 am and bring it in at 10 am. I can still smell the acrid bite of garlic and the soothing sharpness of onions as they hit hot oil, followed by the salted fish crackling and releasing its briny sweetness.
Then finally she would add the dried-out okra itself, with its distinct, special scent, earthy and green like rain-soaked backyard gardens, yet sunny and sharp like the blazing equatorial heat.
This fry-up is my memory turned recipe. It is migration and yearning. But best of all, it is reality.
Who would imagine that at the far edges of western Canada, in the fertile valleys of British Columbia, local farmers are nurturing this tropical treasure? That is the nature of BC agriculture, ever evolving to reflect the diversity of those who live here. Our food is grown on curiosity, courage, and double-daring.
Farmers lean into both the known and the unknown with equal joy, testing new crops beneath skies that shift from soft mist to blazing summer sun. They learn what thrives, what falters, and what surprises them entirely. Their experiments bring us flavours that connect distant homelands to local soil. How else could a Guyanese kitchen come alive in a downtown Vancouver high-rise?
To breathe in the scents of my childhood home while crafting a Canadian farmer’s story feels nothing short of magical.
Okra, with its delicate ridges and fuzzy-soft green shine, carries far more than flavour. Packed with fibre, antioxidants, and vitamins A and C, it nurtures digestion, heart health, and immunity. Its natural prebiotics soothe the gut while lending its silky texture to curries, soups, stews, and fry-ups alike.
Before I go, I have to pay tribute to the farmers, to their curiosity and perseverance. They speak of new crops with reverence, like wide-eyed storytellers discovering a hidden treasure. What they rarely mention are the trials, the patience, the small heartbreaks along the way, the fails and triumphs it takes to learn what a plant loves and what it stubbornly resists.
A humble vegetable, the okra, yet a powerful one too. And this recipe, by the way, is especially for those who say they do not like okra. Try it. Go ahead and taste this dish that will surprise you, for there is nothing slippery about it at all. Serve with bakes or with Alica’s Pepperpot Roti.
The Okra For The Saltfish: 1. Saltfish: Rinse off the excess salt from the salted fish and place in a deep bowl.
Ingredients
The night before:
• 1.5 pounds okra from a local farm – wash and pat dry.
Slice into thin coins and layer out on a cookie sheet. Let it dry out overnight.
• 1/2 lb salted cod
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 1 large tomato, finely chopped
• 1 large Red Russian garlic clove, smashed to smithereens
• 1 or 2 wiri-wiri pepper or 1 Thai Chili, minced
• 2 tbsp olive oil plus more if neededInstructions
2. Boil 2 litres water and pour 1 litre water over the fish. Drain off and pour the other litre on. Drain again.
3. Flake the salted fish with your fingers, it should come apart easily.
4. Sauté onion, garlic, and pepper in oil. Add tomato and cook until liquids are cooked off. Add the flaked saltfish. Stir well and often.
5. If it gets too sticky, pour in another couple tablespoons olive oil.
6. Now add the dried-out okra and fold gently into the saltfish and oil mixture. Fry, and fold over every so often. Cook until flavours meld and the okra is crispy in some parts.
7. The okra and saltfish should be a lovely green and crispy edged colour.
8. Serve hot — tear open bakes (recipe here), stuff with saltfish, and enjoy. Or, better yet, serve with rice and dal, or with a hot roti ( get the recipe from Alica’s Pepperpot).