Growing up in the Midwest and having a mother who was from the South meant that there were many different dishes on the dinner table. When spring and summer arrived, BBQ chicken, sweet pickles from the oven, and rhubarb strawberry pie were all on the menu. Fried okra is one of my favourite summer dishes. This wonderful vegetable is not well-known, but you should.
Makes 4-6 servings
15m prep time
20m cook time
INGREDIENTS
3-4 cups fresh okra or thawed okra from frozen, cut into 1/ 2” round slices
2 to 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 egg, beaten
1 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/ 2 teaspoon garlic powder
Canola or vegetable oil for frying
PREPARATION
Once okra has been cut (with tips and stems rdicarded) rinse the okra well. Toss okra pieces with all-purpose flour. Use a strainer to shake off excess flour.
In a separate bowl beat egg. Pour okra into egg and toss to coat each piece. In a zipper plastic bag pour cornmeal, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Pour 1 cup of okra into bag at a time and shake well to coat each piece. Repeat until the okra is all coated. If you don’t have a baggie then you can dredge the pieces by tossing the okra in the cornmeal using 2 forks.
Heat enough oil for deep frying to medium-high heat or until a thermometer reads 350˚F. Fry in small batches, removing okra from oil when the outer color is golden brown (about 2 minutes each side.
Place on paper towels to drain excess oil. Serve hot with a side of ketchup, ranch dressing, or your favorite dipping sauce.
