These days we hardly eat any fried food. But I remember loving this dish as a kid growing up in Arkansas. This must be a Southern thing, because it's hard to find good okra in the supermarkets around Baltimore. (Most don't even have it.) I've been getting it from Asian grocery stores.
I'm not sure of the official recipe. I just have verbal instructions from my grandma. :) I start with a couple of generous handfulls of okra for two people.
1. Wash okra, trim the stem end off each one, and slice into 1/4 inch pieces.
2. Toss the sliced okra with a slightly beaten egg.
3. Toss the egg-coated okra in cornmeal and shake off the excess.
4. Fry in a shallow layer of your favorite vegetable oil. I use canola oil. Toss the okra during cooking to brown on all sides.
5. Drain on paper towels, sprinkle with salt, and serve with ketchup or other favorite condiment.
You can add salt (and pepper if desired) at any or all stages of this process. I found the more salt, the better it tastes. I haven't timed how long it takes to cook. I'll do that next time and report my findings here. :)
I'm not sure of the official recipe. I just have verbal instructions from my grandma. :) I start with a couple of generous handfulls of okra for two people.
1. Wash okra, trim the stem end off each one, and slice into 1/4 inch pieces.
2. Toss the sliced okra with a slightly beaten egg.
3. Toss the egg-coated okra in cornmeal and shake off the excess.
4. Fry in a shallow layer of your favorite vegetable oil. I use canola oil. Toss the okra during cooking to brown on all sides.
5. Drain on paper towels, sprinkle with salt, and serve with ketchup or other favorite condiment.
You can add salt (and pepper if desired) at any or all stages of this process. I found the more salt, the better it tastes. I haven't timed how long it takes to cook. I'll do that next time and report my findings here. :)
finally a dish that makes okra sound delicious. I'll have to try this one! Does the okra still have that distinctive texture when cooked this way?
ReplyDeleteBy "distinctive texture" do you mean "icky-gooey-slimy"? :) Okra is considerably less slimy on this inside after frying. But it is still moist inside. The crunchy cornmeal is a nice contrast.
ReplyDeleteThe okra is still slimy during the prep stage, of course. You have to wash your knife well afterwards!