Chomp!
October 18, 2013
By Ron Aiken
October 18, 2013
Fried Okra Recipe!
Yes! This week I’m pleased to offer you something I’ve been hoping to get my hands on – a bona fide, honest-to-goodness tried-and-true recipe for fried okra, which may be the best use the South has ever put to frying a vegetable.
I am indebted to the dynamic Merritt McHaffie for sharing the recipe of her father, Bill. Thanks, Bill! Please send another batch back for Chomp! when you can, because it is cruel and unusual punishment to talk about something so wonderful, see pictures of it in such splendor and still have such an empty belly at the end. But such is life, and an empty belly is one’s own fault, one which should be corrected immediately by the application of the following recipe.
First, from Merritt:
My dad tells me that he USED to make his fried okra with cornmeal but after running into an elderly African-American woman at a farmer’s market one day, he switched to flour. She advised him that it truly is the best. So he changed his ways. This is his recipe and it is absolutely delicious. It’s amazing that these little veggies can hold so much flavor.
And here is his recipe:
Cut 1 pound okra into 1-inch sections.
Wash okra in cold water using a colander. Let it drain for about five minutes. Cut okra produces some moisture, but the water helps clean and give the breading a little more sticking power. Some use Club Soda here in place of water.
Add salt and WHITE pepper to taste and toss.
Toss Okra salt and pepper with 1/2 cup self rising flour. Biscuit flour is best.
Heat a skillet with 1/4 cup peanut oil. Remember to get the heat up before adding the Okra.
Let the okra brown (takes a while) around 35 to 45 minutes, depending how crispy you like it. Some like it almost black. Remember not to turn it very much, or the breading will separate. A skillet with a rounded bottom is best. It will allow you to toss the mixture without using a spoon or spatula.
As with any recipe, the better the okra, the better the dish. The Upstate has some places to purchase good Okra. My favorite is The Tomato Vine, Old Buncombe Rd, Greenville. You cannot beat The Tailgate Market in Hendersonville, N.C., either.
Here’s some photos of the process in action!
Follow Chomp! on Twitter @RonAiken and on Facebook. Email Chomp! at [email protected]. He even answers his phone sometimes: 803-200-8809. Cheers!
Sign up here to receive MidlandsLife weekly email magazine.
