Fried Okra
Missy Tippens
Yes, folks, you read that title right. Today you're going to have to try to make fried okra! Okay, I know some of you are thinking it's slimy and gross. But I promise you it is NOT slimy if you fry it. So please humor The Belle and give this a try!
You'll need:
FRESH okra (thank you to the McDonalds for sharing their harvest at the church office!)
Buttermilk (I didn't have any so used a little lemon juice to "sour" half & half
Buttermilk Cornbread mix (or some kind of cornbread mix--which contains cornmeal and flour)
Vegetable oil (I use canola)
salt and pepper
Heat oil in a skillet on medium to medium-high heat.
Meanwhile, rinse and dry the okra. Cut the ends off, then evenly slice into bite sized pieces.
Put buttermilk into a bowl and cornmeal mix on a plate.
Generously salt and pepper the cornmeal mix.
Dip a handful of okra into the milk.
Shake off excess.
Then toss it in the seasoned cornmeal mix.
Fling a bit of the cornmeal into the skillet to see if it's ready (it'll sizzle).
Transfer the coated okra to the hot skillet in a single layer, working quickly and in batches so you don't over-fill the skillet.
Here's batch one. Flip when it's golden to cook the other side. Or if you're not picky about how evenly it cooks, you can just kind of stir it around.
Remove with a slotted spoon to drain on a plate with paper towels.
Salt to taste.
Adjust heat as needed to prepare the second batch (Oil had gotten pretty hot, so I turned it down).
Cook batch two...
An then remove to a second layer of paper towels. Oh, and try not to eat the first batch while the second batch cooks!
Oh, you say you wouldn't have thought to do that?? Oops. I guess I'm guilty as charged! :)
YUM! Any Belle worth her salt can cook this. I challenge you to give it a try!
Missy
Visit The Belle at www.MissyTippens.com
YUMMY!! I want to try this. I've had okra in gumbo but never fried.
ReplyDeleteOne of my facebook friends posted a picture of a great dinner his wife made. I asked him what the long, brown things were on the side and it was BATTER FRIED GREEN BEANS. That was the veggie for the meal! Seriously! Who knew?? I've had fried pickles but never fried green beans.
Virginia I love fried green beans! I've never made them but have had them at restaurants. They're sold as appetizers. Very filling appetizers!
DeleteOh, yeah. Fried green beans are AMAZING!
DeleteNever had okra...not sure if I can get it up here but this does look yummy. Wonder if I could try it with zucchini instead?
ReplyDeleteKav, fried zucchini is fantastic too! And fried yellow squash. I've made them many times.
DeleteFried okra, catfish and fried green tomatoes and I am in HOG heaven. I miss Tulsa..WAAAAAAA!!!
ReplyDeleteOh yeah! I recently fried green tomatoes too. Love them!
DeleteMissy, I love fried okra, but it's been ages since I've made it. Thanks for reminding me. It's so easy to make.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy, Mindy!
DeleteFried zucchini is a Pittsburgh staple. My Dad likes fried okra, so thank you for the recipe. I will make him some but I will not be eating any!!! Yuck!
ReplyDeleteI'm with Piper. Okra makes me {{{shudder}}} VERY glad I live in the north!
ReplyDeleteBUT, if you promise they aren't slimy and gross, I MIGHT try one.
If I was visiting you and you offered one to me.
Maybe.
But believe me, I won't be making these at home.
Nope.
But thanks for sharing the recipe - I can adapt it to green beans and zucchini, right? :)
Piper and Jan! Y'all need to be brave! Give it a try (or maybe you have, Piper).
ReplyDeleteYes, beans and squash are good, too. But there's just something about okra... YUM! :)
LOL! Yes, Missy, there IS just SOMETHING about okra!
DeleteI'll have to give the squash or beans a try :)
I LOVE fried okra! The buttermilk is a new thing to me though. I'm going try it next time I get my hands on some of those pods
ReplyDeleteCindy, I'm glad there are other okra lovers out there! :)
DeleteMissy, your recipe is such a help! I've tried for years to make fried okra like my grandmother made -- but I always have trouble getting the cornmeal to stick to the okra. Using cornbread mix makes me realize she probably put flour in with the cornmeal. Duh! :-) Thanks!
ReplyDeleteNancy C
Nancy, I hope this works better for you! The buttermilk really helps too.
DeleteI got over here yesterday but then some cute little kid needed something. Missy for me to do this you must INVITE ME TO YOUR HOUSE FIRST, make it for me and let me see if it's good. Because life is filled with great things to fry, including by not limited to Twinkies and Oreos.... so why on earth would I even consider.... okra???? I'm just thinking out loud here, honey. Just thinking out loud. :)
ReplyDeleteDying laughing!! Okay, you've got me on that one. But you'll still have to come to my house to try it. Then we'll fry Oreos for dessert. :)
DeleteMy family loves fried okra!! My mom and I always just wash and slice the okra then we use enough jiffy cornmeal mix to cover it, add a little salt and then fry in a skillet. You do have to watch it so that it doesn't get too brown. We love fried zucchini and green tomatoes too! We fix them the same as the okra.
ReplyDelete