Living in the south, there are some things that are just ‘in your genes’ and fried anything certainly is in that category, along with saying ya’ll, and drinking Dr. Pepper and ‘swe-eat tea’!  For those unlucky people who have never experienced these southern delights, they may seem over rated, like southern women’s ‘big hair’, but for almost everyone I have ever served this southern classic, there was the initial hesitation, “I don’t really like okra”, and the reluctant nibble of the crispy end, the eyebrows go up, and a more substantial bite is followed by a furtive ‘hunter/gatherers’  grab for as many as they can load on their plate!  It’s like the ‘turkish delights’ in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the desire for it can cause you to sell out your siblings for more of the delicious stuff!!

Recipe:

fresh or frozen whole okras (app. 5/person)

yellow cornmeal

salt/pepper to taste

corn oil

Microwave okra in water for 5 minutes for frozen/10 for fresh (the object is to partially cook the okra so that it would be tough, but you don’t want it to be limp and watery)

Heat oil to 350 degrees in a skillet (use thermometer) or when oil is bubbling

Flatten each okra with a fork and then dredge in the seasoned (salt/pepper, or cajun seasoning, or lemon pepper, etc.)yellow cornmeal.

Place okra in skillet when oil is to temperature.  Allow to cook until the okra is well done.  This is the trick, to know when it is done to crunchy perfection.  A warning:  the okra will turn brown and then there is a very short window of time before they turn black and burn, so you must be vigilent and remove them just as they crisp.  The only way I can describe it is to use tongs and when the okra feel hard (like a crunchy french fry) it is ready to be drained on a paper towel, salted and peppered and served immediately.  If you are cooking for a large group, you can keep the okra crispy in a 200′ oven while cooking the mounds you will need.  The crunchiness is the key to everyone raving!