Friday, July 18, 2008

Southern Fried Okra

Technically, I am not a Southern gal, but I am guilty by association. My parents met in Oklahoma and moved to California shortly after getting married. Every other summer we would make our way back to Tulsa, and often driving as far as Alabama to visit relatives. It was there I learned the beauty of southern food.....mac n' cheese, fried green tomatoes, baked beans, fried okra and hush puppies.

My dad would sometimes fry up some okra...it seemed to be his favorite and I just loved those browned crispy morsels. So flash forward about a hundred years (well okay, 20) and I find myself thinking about frying me up some okra after finding a batch at the farmer's market. While I know this is not good for you, (about as healthy as a french fry) an occasional foray into my deep South ancestry serves to nourish my soul.


Slice the okra. Don't freak out about the slimy innards.



Let it soak in a bath of 2 cups buttermilk and two eggs for 20 minutes.


Dip in a breading made from 1 cup cornmeal (I used the coarser polenta grains) and 1 cup flour, a tsp. of salt and pepper, and a tsp. of baking powder.

Fry in oil until golden crispy on the outside and soft in the middle. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with sea salt. Best eaten hot!

Note: If you plan on making this a side dish, make sure it is the last thing cooked or else they will disappear before you get the rest of dinner on the table.

5 comments:

Cathy Reaves said...

Wow! That looks really good. Not being a southern girl or anything, I did visit South Carolina and found a liking to hush puppies....yum!

Michelle said...

Michigander here, but I dearly love Okra, Hushpuppies and Grits. Gorgeous photo!

Lori said...

these look yummy. They are calling my name.

Deanna S. said...

Thanks Cathy, Michelle and Lori - I can attest that they were indeed very yummy. You should try!

Tammy said...

I LOVE okra! I have never cooked with it though. I honestly don't know if I can even get it around here (in northern CO). I'm going to have to try though - this looks just yummy!!