Fried Okra

Ok, so I’m kind of giving away a closely-guarded family recipe here.  Hopefully, my mom will still talk to me after this post. 

Okra is a much undervalued vegetable in my opinion.  You don’t hear too much about it outside of the South.  But besides being one of the few veggies able to withstand the scorching summers down here, it also has a respectable amount of calcium and Vitamin C.  According to SELF nutrition data, it contains 24 and 52 percent, respectively.  And, it’s at it’s peak right now…so run to your farmer’s market and grab some!

This is one of my favorite summertime recipes.  It’s quick, easy and, best of all, it’s fried.  So no matter where you’re from, give this recipe a shot.  I can almost guarantee you’ll make it again.

Start with fresh, whole okra.  (If it’s the dead of winter, frozen is allowed).

Fresh Okra

Give it a good wash and cut into about one-inch pieces, discarding the tops.  Now throw it in a bowl and dust with corn meal, salt and black pepper.

Okra, coated

It doesn’t have to be thoroughly coated.  This isn’t Cracker Barrel-style okra.  Yeck.  This is much, much better…trust me.

Next add about 4 tablespoons of vegetable oil to a heavy, oven-safe skillet and give it a good swirl to coat the bottom.  Toss the okra in the skillet and give it a little stir so the oil coats the okra.  If you like, you can add a “tig” more corn meal.  (Tig is Southern for just a little).  You can also add a skosh or a smidgen, which are slightly larger than tig.  Just eyeball it.

Okra in skillet, before

Now just toss it in a 425 degree oven.  You probably want to stir at least once while cooking.

Thirty minutes later, you have some golden brown, crunchy bits of heaven.

Okra in skillet, after

Mmmm….enjoy!

Fried Okra

  • Okra, sliced into one-inch pieces
  • 1 Tbsp. self-rising white corn meal
  • Salt and Pepper
  • 4 Tbsp. vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Wash and cut okra into 1-inch pieces, discarding tops.  In a medium bowl, toss okra with corn meal and salt and pepper to taste.

Add oil to heavy, oven-safe skillet and swirl to coat bottom.  Add coated okra and stir lightly to coat with oil.  Cook for thirty minutes or until golden brown, stirring occasionally.

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