FRIED OKRA – A favorite in our family since my childhood, and if properly prepared and cooked it is one of the most delicious foods ever conceived. (I am biased because of my wonderful memories.)
Recipe for Southern Fried Okra:
– Start with 25 – 30 pods of fresh okra (in season during summer).
– Cut into I/2” rounds.
– Next, combine 1 cup of cornmeal with 1 cup of all-purpose flour, and pinches of salt to taste.
– Mix thoroughly and coat the okra rounds, a hand full at a time, in the cornmeal/flour/salt mixture.
– Remove to a “strainer”, or shake-off in your hands, allowing the excess coating to fall away.
– Place coated okra in a bowl.
– Give it a rest, allowing the coating time to adhere to the okra. (recommended: 10 minutes after all pieces are coated should be enough time for this to happen.)
– In a 12” high-walled frying pan, heat 1/2” of vegetable oil over high heat on a stovetop burner.
– Test one piece of okra—when the coating starts to sizzle and bubble around the okra, it’s time to start cooking.
– Cook 2 handfuls of sliced okra at a time, so as not to crowd the pan.
– Gently stir the pan with your slotted spatula, moving the pieces around and turning them over – insuring they cook evenly.
– When they are just starting to brown, but you can still see some green poking through, start taking the okra out and put them in a serving bowl with a paper towel in the bottom. The bits will continue to crisp as they cool.
– Repeat until all okra pieces are cooked.
– Serve immediately!
YUM!!! The best pop-in-your-mouth, crispy fried okra EVER… nothing like the soggy, flour-encapsulated, fried okra served at 99% of restaurants serving fried okra! You must give this home-cooking recipe a try!
