Eat Like a Rabbit

Fried okra is special. Many people don't know what to do with it. And most people have had such bad experiences with it, they are afraid to try it again. We purchased some fresh okra from the Maitland Farmer's Market and it stayed in the refrigerator until I I decided I couldn't run away from it any more. I was going to have to find a way to cook it. I did a bit of research and created my own recipe for fried okra. Paul said he had never had such minimal batter on his okra and that he liked it that way. I was proud because I actually thought the vegetable was edible. Fried foods can find their way into the heart so easily. I served other leftovers--spaghetti squash, french bread slices, and roasted potatoes along side okra for added color and for decreasing the items in the refrigerator.

Recipe for Fried Okra

In a Ziplock bag pour 1/2 cup Corn Meal, 1 tablespoon onion powder, and 3/4 tablespoon salt. Zip the bag tightly and mix the ingredients by shaking. Pour 1 cup oil into the largest stainless skillet available. Heat on medium high. To test heat, sprinkle a drop of corn meal in the skillet. It should sizzle immediately. While the oil is heating, wash and cut the top and bottom off of each stem of okra. Cut the stems into bite-sized pieces--remember, the smaller it is, the more batter required and the shorter the cook time. Immediately, put a piece into the corn meal. They say the longer okra stays out after it has been cut, the more slimy it becomes. Battering the pieces quickly should help with this. Zip and shake the bag when it is full. Spoon out the okra into the hot oil, turning every couple of minutes until brown. Don't panic if the oil appears to dry up. What has gotten onto the okra will still cook the cornmeal.

I made this recipe again three days later to make sure the first creation wasn't an accident. This time, I used vegetable oil and seasoned salt. We decided olive oil and onion powder are the preferred flavors for batter. We also prefer cornmeal over flour to make the okra more crunchy.