Southern Recipes www.olsouthrecipes.com

Southern Fried Okra Recipe

You may be reluctant to do step 8 of the directions, but give it a try. If you do not like okra real crunchy, cook until brown with some green still showing.

Ingredients

4 cups cut up okra (or one bag frozen)
1 cup WHITE cornmeal
2 tablespoons flour
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Vegetable Cooking oil, enough to cover okra completely in frying pan

Directions

1. Heat oil in large frying pan on medium heat. Use a pan large enough not to crowd the okra.
2. Chop okra into 1 inch pieces.
3. Beat egg lightly in a bowl and add the okra. Stir to coat okra with egg and let sit for 5 minutes.
4. Place the cornmeal, flour, salt and pepper in a separate large bowl and mix
5. Dredge the okra in the cornmeal mix to cover all sides of okra with mix.
6. Place one piece of okra in the hot oil and check that it immediately bubbles and sizzles. If not, the oil is not hot enough. Increase heat until you get the bubbles when adding one piece of okra.
7. If oil temperature is O.K., add all the okra
8. Cook the okra, stirring frequently, until it is one shade from burned! When done, the okra should not be bright green. It should be brown with a few black (burned) edges. (See pictures below)










9. Place cooked okra on paper towels to absorb some of the oil. It will be VERY CRUNCHY! Serve hot.

Okra is good served with Pork Chops or Fried Chicken and compliments other vegetables, especially tomatoes. The tomatoes just seem to bring out the flavor of okra....or maybe it's the okra bringing out the flavor of the tomatoes. Anyway they go together. Also, onion is good with okra. Just a slice of fresh onion on the side of the plate. Ummmmm, good!