Fried Okra

One of the gems of Southern cuisine… fried okra. My mom made this for me growing up, and so it has a nostalgic quality for me. It’s one of my favorites – because I’m pretty sure that when you fry a vegetable, all the bad things associated with frying gets canceled out… right?? Oh, and it is definitely Brogan’s favorite. He also associates this with my mom (aka Gigi), and even made me call her when I made this for him last week.  This recipe is pretty basic, but I assure you the flavor is not. If you’ve never tried it, you should. Enjoy!

Fried Okra

1 lb fresh okra, stems removed, cut into 1/2″ pieces
1 egg, beaten
1 cup self rising corn meal
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
Vegetable or canola oil (enough to fill your pot 3/4″)

1.) Place cut okra in a gallon Ziploc bag. Add egg, close bag and shake until okra is evenly coated.
2.) In a small bowl, combine corn meal, salt and pepper. Pour corn meal into bag with okra. Close and shake until okra is again equally coated.
3.) Heat oil over medium-high heat in a skillet or dutch oven (I used a dutch oven to reduce the grease splatter). Test oil by dropping a little bit of the corn meal and see if it bubbles. Once it starts bubbling, reduce heat to medium and carefully add okra in with a large slotted spoon. Be careful to not add too much of the corn meal when adding the okra.
4.) Fry okra for 12 to 16 minutes (depending on the heat). Stir occasionally to ensure all sides are browning. Remove and place in a paper towel lined bowl. Sprinkle a little (extra) salt when they’re still hot (think French fries here) and enjoy!