Be askeered Yankees, we’ve got okra. 18 whole plants of it! Clemson Spineless variety to be exact.
Listen up all you nay’sayers of okra. I don't wanna hear anything about it being slimy until after you have eaten it fried...the right way, which is the only way we do it. If you do nothing else, c'mon over and have us fix you up a batch before you say "Okra? Gross!" Or you can make it yourself:
Damn That's Some Sexy Okra
Okra pods*
Eggs - beaten
Cracker Meal
Oil for frying
Kosher salt
*The single MOST important thing to know about okra is that size matters. In this case, you want small pods - 1 1/2" to 2" at best. Anything larger, and your okra is going to be woody. There's an exception to every rule. With okra, large and woody is not what you want.
Heat oil (enough so that your okra isn't completely submerged) in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet to 350 degrees. Slice your okra pods into 1/2" rounds, discarding the stems and ends. Dredge your okra first in the eggs, then the cracker meal. Drop in your pan and fry, turning them now and then until they get to be a tad darker than golden brown. Take them out to drain on a paper towel, and hit them with some salt when they are still hot. Serve immediately.
Pros: This works perfectly if you are having a to-do and everyone is just hanging out in the kitchen. You can keep cranking them out good and hot, while the masses adore you.
Cons: Not a good traveling hors d'oeuvres because it really is best hot and doesn't crisp up later in an oven. If you serve this at your own shindig, be prepared to be chained to your stove for a bit.
This post is brought to you courtesy of my friend Maria, a true southern lady, who noticed that my list did not contain okra and was immediately horrified. ;)
YUM! I lurve fried okra!! I've never tried cooking it myself, though!
ReplyDeleteI have a good one. Let's call it... "Heart stopping okra." Once you read the ingredients, you'll see why I call it that. Here we go...
ReplyDeleteCut okra.
5 or 6 slices of bacon.
Sliced onion.
Butter.
Kosher salt.
Cracked black pepper.
Worcestershire.
Blackening seasoning.
White wine.
Let's go!
Cube your bacon and brown it up in a large saute pan. (Don't drain the grease! Caramelize the onions and then add your okra, a pinch of salt and some cracked pepper. (The salt brings out the sugar in the onion.)Deglaze the pan with a hit of white wine then add your blackening seasoning and let it cook for about 2 or 3 Min. Here comes the good part... Add your blackening seasoning and then you'll add about 2 Tablespoons of Worcestershire, throw in
about a tablespoon of butter and there ya go...
"Heart stopping Okra!" (Throw that over a bed of Red rice and there ya have it.)
Here's a side note- Go easy on the salt! Look at it like this... Bacon is salty...Worcestershire is salty...and believe it or not, (Salt...is salty.)
PROS- It's good. (Trust me.)
CONS- If you're in to healthy eating? (Don't eat this.) If you want to eat healthy, go eat at the damn hospital or something; I don't cook healthy food. Here's another CON- But it could be a PRO- (See what you think.) Because of the bacon... Jews and Arabs won't eat this dish but the way I look at it... The bacon part of it is about the only thing that the Jews and Arabs WILL agree on.
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