Name: Fried okra
Ingredients: all-purpose flour; cornmeal; buttermilk; ground cayenne; salt; vegetable oil; okra; half-and-half

Liana Krissoff

Fried okra

Preparation info

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Slow Cook Modern

By Liana Krissoff

Published 2017

About

This makes a skilletful, which should be plenty for 3 or 4 people who are also eating bowls of hearty gumbo. If you want to double the recipe, you’ll have to do it in two skillets, or in two batches, straining or replacing the cooking oil to remove little blackened bits.

Ingredients

¼ cup (30 g) all-purpose flour
¼ cup (45 g) fine cornmeal
½ teaspoon salt, plus more for sprinkling
Good pinch ground cayenne
1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk or half-and-half
8 ounces (255 g) okra, stems trimmed off, cut into rounds ¾ inch (2 cm) thick
Vegetable oil for shallow-frying

Method

Morning

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, salt, and cayenne. Toss the okra in the buttermilk, drain, then toss in the flour mixture to coat, then spread on a waxed paper–lined tray and put in the freezer. Set a plate lined with paper towels near the stovetop and pour about ⅛ inch (3 mm) oil into a large skillet or sauté pan and set aside for evening.

Evening

Heat the oil over medium-high heat. When it shimmers, add the frozen okra and cook, gently stirring with a slotted spoon every couple of minutes, until nicely browned all over, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to the paper towels to drain, sprinkle with salt, and serve.