Lowcountry Recipes: Simply Fried Okra

Lowcountry Recipes: Simply Fried Okra

Simply Fried Okra

Serves 4

2 cups vegetable oil
1 pound fresh okra, stemmed and cut into 3 pieces each
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 cup cornmeal or self-rising flour (or ½ cup of each, mixed)

In a skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat until hot, but not smoking. Put the okra in a bowl, sprinkle with the salt, pepper, and cornmeal (or cornmeal-flour mixture), and toss to coat evenly. (Alternatively, put the ingredients in a large plastic or paper bag, and shake to coat.)

Shake off any excess cornmeal, then carefully place the okra in the hot oil using a slotted spoon. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes total, turning to lightly brown all over.

Use the slotted spoon to remove the fried okra and drain on paper towels.

Serve hot.

 

From Sallie Ann Robinson’s Kitchen: Food and Family Lore from the Lowcountry by Sallie Ann Robinson. Gainesville: University Press of Florida, September 2019. Reprinted with permission.

Photo by Deborah Whitlaw Llewellyn