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No summer is complete without a few batches of homemade fried okra, dredged in flour and fried until golden. These fried nuggets with hints of green peeping through are so delicious, there’s no need to add anything to them except a light dusting of salt.
I love okra in every shape and form whether its grilled, roasted, in gumbo, or smothered with tomatoes. I recently discovered a new okra dish, Okra Parmigiana, and it has quickly become a favorite.
But nothing beats straight up fried okra. It is simple and delicious and you can’t stop popping one piece after another into your mouth, hence its nickname “southern popcorn”. The fact that I hate to fry and do it only a few times a year makes fried okra feel extra special.
Light Crispy Coating
Typically southerners fry their okra in cornmeal or a mixture of cornmeal and flour, but I like just a light coating of flour. Sometimes the flavor of the okra gets hidden beneath a heavy cornmeal coating.
Cast Iron Skillet
I use a large cast iron skillet for frying, but any type of skillet will work, or even a Dutch oven.
How To Tell If The Oil Is Hot Enough
A thermometer is handy for making sure the oil stays in the right temperature range. It should be around 370 to 375 degrees F when you first start frying. The temperature will drop some when you add the okra, but you want to keep it from dropping below 350 to 360.
If you don’t have a thermometer, drop a small pinch of flour in the oil. If it sizzles right away, the oil is hot enough to begin frying.
How To Select Okra
When selecting okra, always choose smaller pods that are uniformly green. They develop black specks when they are not fresh. Larger okra pods (more than about 3 to 4 inches in length), get a little fibrous and tough.
Using a paper bag makes the process of coating the okra quick and easy.
Make It Spicy
If you want your okra to have some kick, add 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper to the flour mixture.
Okra can go from lightly browned to black and burnt very quickly, especially if you are using a cast iron skillet which really conducts heat well. You’ll have to flip them over as fast as you can. Not an easy task to do without splashing hot oil on your hands. Just keep telling yourself it’s worth it. Be sure you don’t get distracted while frying okra and have a paper towel-lined plate ready.
Don’t overcrowd the pan. You don’t want the oil temperature to drop too much. Fry in batches.
In a pie plate or paper lunch bag, mix together flour, salt and pepper.
In a small bowl, whisk together egg and milk.
Working in several batches, place okra in egg mixture and coat well.
Transfer to pie plate or paper bag and coat with flour.
Pour about 1 inch Vegetable oil in a large cast iron skillet or Dutch oven. Heat oil until about 375 degrees.
Place a single layer of okra in the oil. Cook until golden brown on bottom and use a spoon to flip over. Try to flip over a few at a time or it will take a long time to work your way through all of them and a few pieces may burn by the time you get to them.
Once golden brown on both sides, use a slotted spoon to remove okra to a plate lined with paper towels. Sprinkle okra with some salt as soon as you remove it from the oil.
Add more oil to the pan and fry remaining okra. Serve warm.
The moistened okra adheres to the breading during frying. Breading does not stick to dry okra. And in my opinion, buttermilk makes a breading which is too thick which also causes the breading to fall off. For frying, I have tried many methods but finally realized that some sort of deep fat fryer is needed.
Frozen okra needs to be thawed completely before cooking, but just be warned, the thawed okra will be wet (which can make it mushy). We recommend draining it and patting it dry completely with paper towels before breading and frying.
Methods like grilling, sauteing, and frying that use high heat for a short amount of time work well. Make sure your cast iron skillet, grill, or fryer is hot before you start cooking okra. Getting a good sear on the outside will not only make the outside taste great, but it will also reduce the slime inside.
Okra is a nutritious vegetable that can be cooked by boiling or frying. Regardless of your cooking method, wash and slice your okra first. You can boil okra in slightly salted water. You can coat okra in cornmeal and then fry it in a frying pan.
Place the breaded chicken on a cooling rack (or a platter) and chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. This cooling time will help the layers of breading ingredients solidify and adhere better after the chicken cooks. Once you start cooking the chicken, be patient and don't flip it over too early.
Place the plate into the refrigerator and let the food sit for at least 60 minutes. This helps the coating to harden a bit, which will keep it on the food.
Frozen okra has a softer texture, which is excellent for soups and stewed okra but not for deep-frying. If you must use frozen, thaw the okra first. Then, thoroughly drain and pat dry.
Can you make fried okra with frozen okra? If fresh okra isn't available but you can get your hands on frozen okra, it works great for this recipe. Just let it thaw first before soaking in the buttermilk and dredging in the flour and cornmeal mixture. You won't even be able to tell a difference.
Nearly half of the fiber in okra is soluble fiber, which helps lower cholesterol levels and reduces the risk of heart disease. Insoluble fiber, also found in okra, helps keep the intestinal tract healthy, can help relieve constipation and may decrease the risk of colon cancer.
One popular way to reduce okra's sliminess is to "soak it in vinegar for 30 minutes [before cooking with it], which helps to break up and dissolve the slime," says food scientist, food industry consultant, and author Bryan Le.
Unlike cutting it into coins, which leaves some squishy stuff in the middle, cutting okra into spears exposes the entire interior of the pod, creating more surface area for the crunchy cornmeal to stick to, and allowing the oil to fry the okra totally crispy, inside and out.
Place okra in a saucepan; add enough water to cover the okra and salt to taste; bring the water to boil. Cover the pan and cook eight to 10 minutes or until the okra is tender.
The best side dishes to serve with fried okra are cauliflower mac and cheese, Korean corn dogs, crispy green beans, Asian pork chops, jambalaya, grilled Cajun shrimp, tzatziki sauce, chicken feta burgers, cornbread, fried chicken, collard greens, coleslaw, pulled pork sandwich, hush puppies, and Southern baked beans.
If the meat is wet, it will make the flour soggy. In that case, breading will not stick properly and may fall off when deep frying. Therefore, you must take some paper towels and pat dry the meat on all sides.
Be careful not to overcook the okra, as this can make it slimy and mushy. Once the okra is cooked, you can season it with your preferred spices or serve it as is.
Root-knot nematodes can be a serious problem with okra. If a plant is stunted, yellow, or not producing at full capacity, then pull the plant out of the ground and check for galls on the roots.
Introduction: My name is Clemencia Bogisich Ret, I am a super, outstanding, graceful, friendly, vast, comfortable, agreeable person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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