No summer is complete without a few batches of homemade fried okra, dredged in flour and fried until golden. These fried nuggets with hints of green peeping through are so delicious, there’s no need to add anything to them except a light dusting of salt.
I love okra in every shape and form whether its grilled, roasted, in gumbo, or smothered with tomatoes. I recently discovered a new okra dish, Okra Parmigiana, and it has quickly become a favorite.
But nothing beats straight up fried okra. It is simple and delicious and you can’t stop popping one piece after another into your mouth, hence its nickname “southern popcorn”. The fact that I hate to fry and do it only a few times a year makes fried okra feel extra special.
Typically southerners fry their okra in cornmeal or a mixture of cornmeal and flour, but I like just a light coating of flour. Sometimes the flavor of the okra gets hidden beneath a heavy cornmeal coating.
I use a large cast iron skillet for frying, but any type of skillet will work, or even a Dutch oven.
When selecting okra, always choose smaller pods that are uniformly green. They develop black specks when they are not fresh. Larger okra pods (more than about 3 to 4 inches in length), get a little fibrous and tough.
Using a paper bag makes the process of coating the okra quick and easy.
Okra can go from lightly browned to black and burnt very quickly, especially if you are using a cast iron skillet which really conducts heat well. You’ll have to flip them over as fast as you can. Not an easy task to do without splashing hot oil on your hands. Just keep telling yourself it’s worth it.
Ingredients :
1 lb okra
2 cups buttermilk
2 cups self-rising cornmeal
oil
Directions :
Rinse okra and slice.
Discard stems and tips.
Pour buttermilk over sliced okra;
cover and chill 30 minutes.
Remove okra from buttermilk. Dredge okra in cornmeal.
Pour oil to a depth of 2 inches in a Dutch oven or large skillet. Heat oil to 375 degrees. Fry okra in batches until
golden brown, about 4 minutes.