I also love fried okra and was hoping for a good ending.

Too bad.

I'm sorry, but I had a good laugh this morning.

Linda

I was hoping to give you a few chuckles this morning by way of this cautionary tale.

What a story, too funny!

But now you've got me wondering what good fried okra tastes like. I love that "gummy, over-breaded stuff you find in the freezer section of the grocery, and in some restaurants."

That was funny -- you described your adventure well. I could just picture that series of events, which sounds like the way it might go for me, should I ever attempt deep-frying.

My husband occasionally pan-fries okra (and green tomatoes) coated with cornmeal. No disasters so far, but my burners have set paper towels on fire more than once.

foodonastump, to me good fried okra starts with small, tender pods. They are slice horizontally. Then fried with a teeny amount of cornmeal until they are thoroughly done...enough that there is no "slime." Lots of restaurants, even though they call it fried, have barely heated the okra leaving it slimey inside. Yuk! And I think to be good fried okra, there has to be a certain amount of caramelization (doesn't that sound better than "burnt").

Now here is where my okra-cooking falls down. I don't know what Mom does to make the cornmeal stick to hers. Sis and I talked about it. We are almost certain it isn't dipped in batter. (Gee, why I just don't call Mom and ask her! duh!)

Try oven frying it on a dark jelly roll pan. I use cornmeal and oil and that's it. Sometimes I fool around with other additions but okra sliced and dredged in salted cornmeal and spread on an oiled pan, baked at 400 for 30 minutes+ is really good.

Yes please, bbstx, and once you call her and find out, can you post the answer? Generally when I deep fry, I dust whatever it is with flour, dip in egg, and then in the coating. But with cornmeal, this method makes too thick a crust.

I just watched the Alton Brown episode "Okraphobia" on youtube. He has two recipes with the same ingredients: a pound of okra, cornmeal, oil.

One recipe he calls wet frying. Okra is sliced, rinsed, briefly drained, shaken in a bag with cornmeal, and then fried in a big mass in a 10" skillet with enough oil to coat the pan. Drained, seasoned with salt.

For the second recipe, dry frying, rinse and dry them well before slicing, shake with cornmeal, shake off excess cornmeal by shaking in a colander, fry in a 10" skillet with oil to coat. The okra should be in a single layer, not crowded. He said this recipe is crisper and lighter. Drain, season with salt.Probably what you're looking for.

Paula Deen uses buttermilk, clearly a thicker batter than you want.

I know different regions cook things differently but the way it was passed down in my family and the way I do it now is to slice it into round pcs and put them all in a bowl and toss with salt pepper a small amount of flour and with cornmeal to coat. Then it is all put in at once in a pan with a little oil and fried turning to get it brown all over like you would pan fry potatoes. You get a little bit of different textures some super crunchy some a little softer but all really good and not slimy. I also use only the smaller pods as the large ones are tougher.

Melissa

Okra, to be good, MUST start with small, young, tender pods. They can be sliced into approximately 1/2 inch long pieces, or left whole. Leave the little stem end on when leaving whole, it makes a nice 'handle' for finger food.
Dip them in plain water, then into the cornmeal. Sprinkle seasonings of choice over the the okra after it has been fried, seasoning each batch when it comes out of the fryer.
And yes, it should be a nice, deep golden brown, when done.
Another very good coating for it is to mix 1 part white flour tortilla mix with 3 parts white flour. Add seasoning of choice. Dip okra in water, then into flour mix, proceed as with the corn meal. But your seasoning is already in the coating, so taste before adding more to the finished product. If you like a thicker batter, dip in water, or a water & egg mix, then into flour, back into the water, then into the flour/tortilla mix.
This makes a tender, crisp coating. Similiar to beer batter coating, yet different.
Your story sounds a lot like something that could happen in my kitchen. Not so funny in progress, but hilarious the next day. Thanks for sharing it, I needed the laugh this morning. And, it makes me realize I'm not the only one that dumb (maybe 'frustrating' would be a better word) things happens to.

Rusty

Even though I have sworn off any more okra frying, all of the good advice and methods are pushing me to tempt fate. ...get ye okra-heads behind me!

BB, don't let the okra win!!! Try try again!!

I tried this recipe last week and it was astonishingly delicious. It came from a magazine that I picked up in the spring called Southern Living All-Time Favorite Recipes. I'm on a mission to try and cook most of them. Since there were only 143, I figured they had to be pretty good to be included.

Here's my picture... you can see that some of the breading did come off, but for the most part it's there and man was it good. Their picture in the mag is of course perfect!

The original recipe says it is for 6.... We're big eaters and this was the main dish. I fried almost the whole pound of okra and we each had a big salad, so in our case it served 2 with a little of the dressing left over. Also for the logistics, I didn't follow their time line. I fixed each of our plates of the greens/tomato etc ahead of time and put them in the refrigerator, started the oil and then when it was almost hot I started dredging the okra. When I was through frying, I topped the salad with the still warm okra and drizzled the dressing over everything.

The lemon dressing was very good though I think I at least doubled the
amount of oil they called for.... still the combination with the paprika was great and it was perfect with the fried okra.

Grace

Fried Okra Salad (from Southern Living)
1 1/2 cups self-rising yellow cornmeal (I didn't have any so used regular cornmeal, mixed with 1 1/2 T baking powder and 3/4 tsp salt)
1 tsp salt
1 lb fresh okra (*don't cut or take the tops off... leave whole)
1 1/2 cups buttermilk (no buttermilk, so I used plain yogurt thinned with a little milk)
Peanut oil
1 head Bibb lettuce
1 large tomato chopped
1 medium sized sweet onion, thinly sliced (this seemed a bit much, so I used a few slices of red onion)
1 medium sweet bell pepper chopped
Lemon Dressing
3 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

Combine cornmeal and salt. Dip okra in buttermilk (yogurt) and then dredge in the cornmeal.
Pour peanut oil to a depth of 2" into a dutch oven or deep cast iron skillet and heat to 375. Fry okra in batches, 2 minutes or until golden, turning once. Drain on a wire rack set over paper towels.
Arrange lettuce leaves on a serving platter; top with tomato, green pepper and onion slices. Add Lemon Dressing, tossing to coat.
Top with fried okra and crumbled bacon and serve immediately.

Lemon Dressing
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 T chopped fresh basil
1 t salt
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 cup olive oil (**I used around 1/2 cup)
Combine first 5 ingredients in a bowl. Add the oil in a slow steady stream whisking until combined. Chill until needed.

IMO, Melissa got it right! No batter, no water, hot pan, just enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan, pan fried until it is dark and crunchy. A cast iron skillet is the pan to use. I've found in recent years that I like to cut slightly larger pieces than what I grew up on, and yes, the younger and more tender the okra the better.

Teresa

I got tired of problems when I tried to fry okra also. I learned a new way and its the only way I "fry" okra anymore. I don't like that stuff the restaurants called "southern fried okra" either. Here's what I do.

Use only small, young and tender okra pods slicing into 1/2 inch rounds. Place cut okra into a bowl. Salt and pepper and use whatever seasonings you want. Afer the salt has a few minutes to draw the moisture out pour 1/2 cup or so of cornmeal into okra and stir to batter well. Use whatever amount you want to make it stick like you want it. Meanwhile turn your oven to 425, place 1 or 2 tablespoons oil in a cast iron skillet and let it get hot in the oven. When it's hot test a piece of okra to see if it sputters when you place in oil. If so, pour all of the okra into the skillet and place in the hot oven. Don't make it over 1 inch thick in skillet. Wait about 20 minutes, possibly a little more. Turn okra with spatula and return to oven for 15 more minutes. Remove okra and turn again. You will usually want to put it back into oven for about 15 more minutes. Play around with this until it's like you want it. It makes yummy "fried" okra, nothing like the restaurants.

It is true that okra pods eventually grow to a size at which they become fibrous and poor eating. How large that is depends on the variety. After trying three of four varieties I've found that pods of Emerald can grow to a larger size than most and still remain tender and good.

Jim

So how does someone in non-okra country judge? Alton said 2-3", firm but not hard, bright uniform color. Any more buying tips?

I got hooked on fried okra last year because there was so much available at our local farmer's market. Before discovering frying, I used to mainly stew it. As Foodonastump mentioned, I followed Alton Brown's "dry" recipe and used small pods. At first I cut them in thirds but eventually just cut them in halves. I found the key was to keep them in the skillet until they were very brown & crisp. My husband, who doesn't really care for stewed okra, really liked this version. So I made it often during the summer. I just bought my first okra of the season so that's on the menu tonight.

I like okra any way you've got it. However, I prefer it in some form of stew, anything from a simple okra, tomato and onion dish to a full-fledged gumbo. On the presumption that all the fried okra I have had was the inferior restaurant type, I will experiment with some of the methods given above.

Jim

Jim, if you like okra "any way you've got it," how do you feel about pickled okra? I LOVE it. It can be bought in most groceries, at least in the South. If you try to do it your self, be sure to pickle only the smallest most tender.

My mother pickled okra and it was fabulous. No pod larger than a ladies' pinkie finger. However, one of her friends was not so discerning with her pickled okra. It was larger and more mature when pickled. The fuzz on the pod had turned stiff. It was like eating a bottle brush! YUK!

Foodonastump, the old gentleman I bought my okra from simply gave me a sack of it. I didn't have an opportunity to choose each pod myself. However, if I were choosing it myself, I would use Momma's standards...nothing bigger than a ladies' pinkie. And I would not choose a pod where the fuzz was any stiffer than peach fuzz. Good luck to you!

It's true that there are certain kinds that will be tender when they are quiet large. You definitely will not find those in the grocery store though. I didn't mention it because those varieties are not grown much in my area and can't even be found in the farmers market here. We did grow some though, a variety called "Texas Longhorn" that could often be tender when up to ten inches long.

I can finally contribute!! YAY!

Young tender okra
slice in 1/2-3/4 inch pieces
put in bowl
pour in enough buttermilk to coat well (use your hand to move them all around to coat)
refrigerate for about 30 minutes
pour okra into collander to drain just a bit (shake a couple of times, but don't try to get all the buttermilk off)
put a good amount of plain corn meal into gallon ziplock
dirty hand - put a handfull of okra into bag and shake to coat
clean hand - reach in and grab them all and shake a little in your hand (in the bag) to shake off excess
drop into hot oil and fry till golden brown
put on paper towels and salt immediately
do it again with another handfull till all is fried

Everyone says I make the best fried okra they've ever had

I love okra!!! Alton Brown's dry frying method is my preferred recipe. I've made it many times. I like cornmeal instead of batter and it's an easy recipe. I've noticed Indian and Asian women in the Asian market snapping the okra before they buy it. I'm not that fussy (or I don't exactly know what I'm looking for), I just try to find medium sized pods that seem fresh.

Here in NC, we have a company know as Autry Brothers that mfg Seafood breader, corn meal for hush puppiesand other product related products.Not sure how wide spread they are in additional states but.......There is nothing better than breading the okra with their seafood mix!!!

I use a deep frier with a basket to do mine with NO problems.

WAsh the okra, cutting it in round pieces a 1/2 in or so leave the okra wet and pour some breader in a gallon zip bag enter the okra and shake until coated, take the okra out with a slotted spoon and put in frier. lift it out when done to your way of eating pan pour on a couple paper towels
I Use the same method to freeze my okra. Cut and bread and freeze seperatly in a bread pan. and when froze and put in freezer bags.. wheen your ready to cook take it out put in frier frozen and it is just as good a freshed cut from garden.

If you don't have Autry Bros try you favorite seafood breader.

I froze 7 Gallons bags last year. I was a hit Christmas day with the family!!

Ah, yes bbstx. Pickled okra is a wonderful thing. The variety Emerald I mentioned makes great pickled okra because it can be grown to a length of 3 or 4 inches and maintain its quality (tender, no spines). Then it fits neatly, stood on end, in a pickle jar. Same idea as dilly beans.

Thanks for mentioning this other use of okra. It's so good!

Jim

So I bought okra, thought I had cornmeal but I don't. I do have corn flour though. Think it'll work or should I go back out?

I do the same as Fedup except I don't use seafood breader, just plain cornmeal. I bet the seafood breader would be good. In a pinch I have used jiffy cornbread mix and had good results. I froze 45 quart bags of okra last year and it is just as good as fresh! I wash it, cut it, cornmeal it, bag it and freeze!

If you grow spineless okra it can get alot bigger and not get to hard and fiberous.

Elery loves okra and fixes it just like Melissa (okie redhead).

I've never seen fresh okra here in any of the farm markets but Elery gets it near his home. I did raise it one year but no one used it for anything so I've never planted it since. I should have planted half a row for Elery.

I've tried it pickled and didn't like it, but I don't like pickles very much, so that's probably a clue, LOL. I didn't care much for the chicken gumbo I made because the okra was still slimy. I ate not one but TWO pieces fried. It was still slimy, although Elery said it was not and ate the rest of the small batch he cooked. I accused him of cooking it that way on purpose so he didn't have to share, LOL.

I guess it's about time to try it again, I haven't tried any since last year.

Annie

I know this may make many of you cringe, but my mother-in-law always panfried her okra in bacon grease. It tasted fantastic!

Well I just made some using the "dry method" and wasn't particularly impressed. Maybe it was because I used masa instead of cornmeal? Maybe I overcooked it? Whatever it was, it looked fine but tasted burnt.

Annie92, if the fried okra you had was still slimy, it was undercooked, IMHO. Also, my gumbo recipe calls for cooking the okra separate from the other ingredients until it is is no longer "rope-y." I've always taken that to mean until it no longer has slime. (Rope-y sounds so much better than slimy!) My gumbo recipe calls for 3 lbs of okra. I use frozen. It takes nearly an hour of cooking to rid it of rope-y-ness.

foodona, I'm so sorry you were disappointed. I doubt that the masa in lieu of cornmeal would have made any noticeable difference, except in crunchiness. I hope one day you can have some fried okra cooked by a good Southern cook. It is wonderful.

My momma used to cook everything in bacon grease. I have a small container in the fridge right now. I don't use it often, but sometimes there is just no substitute.

Who knew fried okra would draw this much attention!

bbstyx, rope-y does sound better than slimy, LOL, and much better than the other term I used to use, which was "snotty". (grin)

Elery insists it was perfect. He's from Tennessee and his sister still lives there, now his sister and his Aunt Etta are on a mission to make me love fried okra. Right after they break me of adding sugar to the cornbread. LOL I've partially redeemed myself due to my love of fried green tomatoes.

My gumbo recipe didn't call for separate cooking of the okra, I thought it was the...um.....rope-y stuff that made the gumbo thick?

annie

Oh, Annie, resist that sugar in the cornbread urge! It is sacrilege to add sugar (or worse, pour maple syrup on it as my husband does!)

I had a friend who taught her children to eat fried okra by calling it "green popcorn" and letting them eat it with their fingers. Think that would work for you? LOL

As I understand gumbo, you use okra when you don't use file (fee-lay) powder. But I always thought the thickener was the roux. (At this point, I'll confess I'm the world's worst roux maker. I cheat and use Tony Chachere's Roux Mix.)

bb, I put sorghum on corn bread. Is that as bad as maple syrup?

I'll eat cornbread either way but I like it best with yellow cornmeal and just a couple of tablespoons of sugar, probably because that's how Grandma made it. Elery's sister insists that it is not cornbread unless it's made with white cornmeal and no sugar. I'll eat that too.

Now, the okra. The recipe I used said to mix salt, pepper, garlic powder and cayenne with flour, toss the chicken in that and then fry the chicken in an inch of oil. Keep 1/2 cup of oil, add 1/2 cup of flour and celery, onion, pepper and okra, stir until the veggies were coated.

Stir the veggies and roux into broth a spoonful at a time, add some sausage, simmer for a while, then bone the chicken, add the pieces back in and heat it through.

I thought the slime was supposed to contribute to the thickening of the broth, somehow, although it did also use a roux. So I should cook the okra until it isn't slimy, and then add it in at the end? Just boil the stuff?

Annie

My impression the roux, once it's been cooked to a nice dark brown, really has little thickening power left. So the okra - yes the slimy part - or file powder, are used to thicken the gumbo. I believe it should be one or the other, but I like to use both.

My MIL would cut up her okra, beat an egg with a little water, add a little flour and pour over okra and fry in small patty-like clumps. Try not to make them too thick. These are good hot or cold.

You might give this a try. We like it that way.

Ann

Annie, I can't tell from the ingredients you listed, and directions, just what type of okra dish you were trying for. I've never heard of a Gumbo dish that called for frying the chicken (or whatever other meat or seafood you might use) first. It does sound good, though. But to cut the sliminess of the okra, you need some sort of acid. Hence the tomatoes in Gumbo, and most other Cajun or Creole dishes that have okra in them.
Another way I like to prepare it, is to steam it, over water, seasoned with lemon pepper. Or saute in a little butter, again with lemon pepper. As long as the okra stays whole, it will not be slimy, and if one of them does pop open, the lemon cuts the slime.
When someone mentioned bacon grease, it brought to mind Grandma's favorite way to cook it. Fry diced bacon until crisp, remove from pan. Cut okra ainto about 1/2 inch pieces, shake in a bag with corn meal. Dump into the hot bacon grease. Stirring often, fry until done. (Tender, kind of brown & crispy) Add bacon back into it and stir, & serve. It's great.

Rusty, the recipe sounded good and it was just called "Chicken Gumbo" if I remember correctly. The only chicken gumbo I'd ever had was the Campbell's soup version, LOL, and it sounded a lot better than that.

It was OK, but not spectacular and the vegetables did not get crisp at all.

Annie

My gumbo recipe says to "fry" the 3 lbs okra in 3/4 cup oil until soft and no longer ropy. It really isn't frying. It is more like sauteeing. And the okra is never crisp. In fact, by the time I get through, you can bearly tell there is okra in the pot...just a few of the distinctive seeds and a bit of the pod floating around.

Fresh Market is now selling Okra Chips, which is actually a whole pod of okra. Fresh Market describes it as "The okra is vacuum fried (resulting in less fat than traditional frying methods) and lightly salted for the ultimate snacking sensation!" DD and I tried it once. I didn't much care for it, but she loved it.

Here is a link that might be useful: Fresh Market Okra Chips

Another okra lover here, but the rest of family does not care for it.

I don't fry it because I don't like frying....BUT I have been known to buy frozen fried okra 'popcorn' bits and add it to a cornbread!

I need another recipe for okra cornbread, someone post one please?

What a lot of work!

After trimming the stems, I saute moderately-small whole pods of okra in a non-stick pan with a teeny amount of oil until soft and lightly-browned and top with a little bit of salt. To prevent slime, make sure they are dry and do not use any water in cooking.

I serve them either as an appetizer or side dish.

bb, we had a Fresh Market in Grand Rapids which closed recently. It was the only one in Michigan but something about Michigan's nearly 15% unemployment rate made shoppers unwilling to pay the much higher prices there.

Thanks for the on-line link, Elery would probably like these and I see I can order on-line.

Annie

I love fried okra and boiled okra. Add a teaspoon of vinegar to the boiling water to remove slime.

I have friends who love Fresh Market's Okra Chips. I didn't like them at all.