Sliced okra is dipped in buttermilk and then dredged in a lightly seasoned mixture of cornmeal and flour, then deep fried to crispy perfection.
Restaurant-Style Southern Deep Fried Okra
We use okra a lot down here in the Deep South where gumbo is king, as a thickening agent. I believe that and steamed - yes, with that gooey, buttery, slime and all - are the only two ways that my Mama ever made okra when I was growin' up.While most southern kitchens will feature a more classic pan fried okra, tossed with lots of cornmeal and cooked up in a small amount of fat, often bacon drippings in a hot cast iron skillet, this deep fried version is what you will most often find served at a restaurant.
I love okra cooked up just about any way you can think of - smothered with fresh garden tomatoes, bacon and sweet onion, roasted crispy or pan fried in a cast iron skillet, in a summer succotash, in a ratatouille, a summer veggie skillet, and most certainly, fried.
It's hard to keep up with them coming out of the fryer because everybody wants to just grab them up! 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 restaurant-style deep fried okra.
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Recipe: Restaurant-Style 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
Ingredients
Instructions
- 1 pound of okra
- 1-1/2 cups buttermilk
- 2 teaspoons of hot sauce, optional
- 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) {affil link}, or to taste, optional
- Deep fryer and fresh vegetable or canola oil
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, hot sauce and egg; set aside. In a separate bowl, combine the cornmeal with the flour, salt and Cajun seasoning.
Dip the okra into the buttermilk, let excess buttermilk drip off 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.
For Oven Frying: Prepare and dredge as above. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Place okra on an oven safe rack over a rimmed baking sheet and lightly spray with oil on both sides. I recommend using an EVO sprayer. Bake for about 30 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. If preparing whole pods, test one before removing tray from oven.
Source: http://deepsouthdish.com
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