Okra Beignets

Devotees of the Hibiscus esculentus will welcome this recipe, for it not only functions well as an accompaniment to a main dish, but also makes a great hot hors d’oeuvre, passed in a napkin-lined basket. American Indians and blacks from Louisiana would scoff at our belated discovery of okra’s versatility; among their many traditional uses of this pod was roasting the seeds for a coffee substitute.