Okra Fritters with Thousand Island Dressing

These crunchy fritters (guaranteed to convert even the most squeamish non-Southern eater) were inspired by those included on the lazy Susan at a down-home retreat in McComb, Mississippi, called The Dinner Bell. Sorry, but these fritters simply don’t work with frozen okra, so if you can’t find small, firm pods in the market, choose another appetizer. And don’t snicker at the Thousand Island dressing: it adds just the right zest the okra needs.