Cou Cou (Caribbean Polenta) - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 cups yellow cornmeal
1 cup fresh okra (or 1 package frozen cut okra)
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1/4 cup butter or 1/4 cup margarine
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups water

Preparation

Clean and wash okra. Dice all but 6. Add 3 cups of water to a large saucepan. Add salt. Add diced and whole okra. Bring okra to boil for 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat. Save whole okra aside for garnish.
Measure 2 cups of liquid from the cooked okra to use for cooking your cou-cou.
Mix cornmeal in a large bowl with enough cold water to moisten and blend it together. Stir the cornmeal slowly into the reserved liquid and okra. Use a wooden spoon to mix together.
Return pot to stove over medium heat, and continue stirring okra and cornmeal. Cook and stir about 15-20 minutes. Insert wooden spoon into center of the cou-cou If spoon stands up in the pot and is easily removed from cornmeal, your cou-cou is done.
Cou-cou should be firm when it's done. If the cou-cou is oose and creamy looking, you have used too much water. If too much water is used, let cou-cou stand uncovered over low heat to \"dry out.\"
When cou-cou is done, turn the entire mixture into a buttered serving bowl and garnish with whole okra.