This Fried Okra Recipe Will Make You Love the Vegetable—or Adore It Even Extra

I grew up within the South and I’ve at all times liked deep-fried okra, however I am unsure I’ve ever tasted fried okra pretty much as good as my Birmingham-based colleague Craig Ruff‘s. I had the pleasure of tasting his model a number of instances when he was growing this recipe final August throughout peak okra season. Craig—who additionally developed our recipe for Southern fried shrimp—labored in eating places in New Orleans and Mississippi earlier than turning into knowledgeable recipe developer, and he is a fried meals wizard.

Craig’s fried okra has a skinny, super-crunchy, grease-free cornmeal crust encasing crisp-tender okra that is utterly slime-free. Together with the okra recipe beneath is Craig’s recipe for the aptly named “comeback sauce”—a tangy mayo-based sauce that is additionally superb with different fried greens, reminiscent of zucchini and onion rings. It’s additionally pretty as a dipper for fried seafood and a topper for burgers. If okra is just not in season the place you reside, save the okra portion of the recipe for summer season and go forward and make the comeback sauce for dipping different meals now. You will not remorse it. 

How one can Make Certain Your Fried Okra Is Crispy, Not Slimy

Folks have plenty of emotions about okra being slimy and I get it—whereas the “slime” is what makes okra a tremendous thickener for gumbos and different stewed dishes, I definitely don’t desire my fried okra to be mucilagenous. The very first thing you are able to do to keep away from a slimy state of affairs is select the best dimension okra pods. “Go for the smaller sized pods as a result of the larger guys not solely appear to be slimier but additionally they’ll get powerful and woody,” says Craig. “Excessive warmth cooking can also be key—frying, roasting, grilling, or sautéing. Take into account that if the okra is crowded within the pan it’s going to steam and they are going to be slimy—don’t crowd them for any of those strategies.”

Craig additionally notes that “acid typically negates slime” (as in pickled okra) so he examined batches of fried okra that had been soaked in acidic buttermilk and sizzling sauce for an hour earlier than frying. “There wasn’t a noticeable distinction as a result of frying just about eliminates all slime anyway,” he says. “The excessive warmth kills the sliminess and also you get a very nice crispy crunchy okra.”

The Finest Oil for Frying Okra

So far as what to fry in, you should utilize any oil with a excessive smoke level, however Craig prefers peanut oil as a result of it is conventional within the South and since he prefers its taste to different excessive smoke level oils, reminiscent of canola and vegetable. In the event you really feel like experimenting, he says, “Utilizing animal fats might be actually fascinating and add depth of taste and richness, however animal fat are typically a little bit tougher to return by and dearer to fry with; though I might positively be fascinated by some duck fats fried okra!” Similar, Craig, identical.

The Finest Batter for Fried Okra

Whereas there’s nothing inherently improper with thick breading on fried meals, I like the place Craig landed for this okra: It is super-crunchy however not so thick that it overpowers the okra. To attain this stability, Craig makes use of a mix of cornmeal, all-purpose flour, and cornstarch, all seasoned with Creole powder, to coat the pods. The cornmeal provides a little bit of nubby texture whereas the all-purpose flour lightens the coating and the cornstarch helps the okra keep crispy for longer after frying. “Including cornstarch to the dredge actually improves the ‘crispy window’ on the coating—they truthfully have been nonetheless comparatively crispy nicely over an hour after frying,” Craig says and I can confirm this, as I used to be swinging by the kitchen all afternoon to snag “only one extra” piece of okra.  Earlier than coating the okra slices within the dry combination, you may dunk them in a easy combination of buttermilk and sizzling sauce, each of which add taste and a delicate tang.

How one can Serve Fried Okra

Fried okra is nice as an appetizer or a aspect with different Southern and Soul meals dishes reminiscent of fried chicken, yellow squash casserole, lima beans, black-eyed peas, and tomato salad. Whereas fried okra is scrumptious straight-up, a creamy dipping sauce like ranch dressing, rémoulade, or the comeback sauce that is included beneath provides a pleasant distinction to the crunchy fried greens. “The mildly candy cornmeal dredge performs actually properly with the vegetal okra, and the creamy, fragrant punch of the comeback sauce is the proper pairing.” Craig says, and I could not agree extra.

Cook dinner Mode
(Preserve display screen awake)