I got this okra at my local butcher, which has a small produce section. It was a little bit of an odd find, since okra is at its peak in the summer, but I was making a stew in the crock pot and this sticky pod is often used as a thickener for stews and gumbo. Okra tastes a bit like zucchini, but it has these bitty little white seeds inside that keep their resistance even when cooked for 7-8 hours and are a great fiber-filled alternative to beans. Great for the bean-haters who live here. (That would be both of us.)
I didn’t use nearly enough of the okra in the stew so I decided to fry the rest as a side dish the next night. I cut it into imprecise 1/3 inch slices and dredged it in cornmeal mixed with salt and pepper. Next I fried it (without any of the excess cornmeal) in vegetable oil until it was light brown. I let the oil drain off in a strainer then seasoned it with a hint more salt and pepper and served alongside some bbq chicken, rice and maple carrots. It was nice to change up our routine a little bit and try something new.
Great way to cook okra. In Greece, where I come from we cook them with tomato sauce.
I came across your site from the foodieblogroll and I’d love to guide Foodista readers to your site. I hope you could add this okra widget at the end of this post so we could add you in our list of food bloggers who blogged about okra, Thanks!