Sliced okra is dipped in buttermilk and then dredged in a lightly seasoned mixture of cornmeal and flour, then deep fried to crispy perfection.

Southern Deep Fried Okra

I have been asked several times how I do my fried okra, so I've finally gotten around to picking some up and cookin' it. Oh the sacrifice.

We use okra a lot down south as a thickening agent in gumbo. I believe that and boiled - yes, with that gooey, buttery, slime and all - are the only two ways that my Mama ever used okra when I was growin' up.

Me, I love okra cooked up just about any way you can think of - stewed down with fresh garden tomatoes and sweet onion, roasted or pan fried, plain with a just bit of olive oil and seasonings, boiled and tossed with butter and salt, and most certainly fried.

Fried okra is another one of those fried foods that I prefer to deep fry over pan frying. Deep fried foods absorb much less oil and produces that crispy end product that I love. Despite the fact that we do fry a lot of things in the south, I just do not do greasy. I also don't care for okra simply passed through cornmeal so I run them through a bit of buttermilk first.

Okra not in season? Grab a bag of precut okra from the freezer section! Excellent as a side dish, alone as a snack, and really good as a salad topper, or try it dipped in some yummy Comeback Sauce.

Here's how I make my fried okra. Enjoy!

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Recipe: Southern Deep Fried Okra

©From the Kitchen of Deep South Dish

Prep time: 10 min |Cook time: 15 min |

Yield: About 4 to 6 servings

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Ingredients

• 1 pound of okra
• 1-1/2 cups buttermilk
• 1 egg
• 2 cups of yellow cornmeal
• 2 cups of self rising flour
• 1 teaspoon of kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon of Cajun seasoning (like Slap Ya Mama), or to taste, optional
• Deep fryer and fresh vegetable or canola oil

Instructions

Preheat the fryer to 375 degrees F, or if using a skillet heat the oil.

Cut the okra either into 1/2 inch slices or lengthwise; set aside. Whisk together the buttermilk and egg; set aside. In a separate bowl, combine the cornmeal with the flour, salt and Cajun seasoning.

Dip the okra into the buttermilk and then dredge in the flour mixture. Fry in batches for 3 or 4 minutes, or just until golden brown; don't overcrowd! Sprinkle with additional salt if desired; serve hot.

Cook's Notes: Substitute 2 sleeves of saltine crackers, crushed fine to a meal, for the cornmeal. You can also eliminate the flour and just use cornmeal alone if you prefer. Don't keep buttermilk on hand? Easy. Just check out this tip.

Source: http://deepsouthdish.com

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Posted by Mary on September 11, 2011

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