Fried Okra

Okra — brought to Appalachia through Southern and Gullah food traditions — was grown in mountain gardens wherever the soil was warm enough. Sliced into rounds, dredged in cornmeal, and fried in hot lard until golden and crispy, fried okra lost all of its sliminess and became a crispy, nutty, deeply satisfying vegetable. Cold fried okra from the lunch pail was eaten like popcorn.

Ingredients

• 1 lb fresh okra pods, ends trimmed
• 1 cup stone-ground cornmeal

¼ cup all-purpose flour

• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper

¼ tsp cayenne

• 1 egg and ¼ cup buttermilk, beaten together
• Lard or vegetable oil for frying — about 2 inches deep

Directions

1. Slice okra into ½-inch rounds.

Mix cornmeal, flour, salt, pepper, and cayenne.

1. Dip okra rounds in egg-buttermilk wash. Let excess drip off.
2. Toss in cornmeal mixture until well coated.

Heat lard to 375°F.

1. Fry okra in batches — do not crowd — for 3–4 minutes until deep golden brown.
2. Drain on a rack. Season with additional salt while hot.

Cool completely before packing in the lunch pail.

1. Cold fried okra stays crispy for hours and is eaten with fingers.

Notes

Fresh okra makes far superior fried okra than frozen. The buttermilk-egg wash helps the cornmeal adhere while adding flavor. The sliminess everyone fears from okra disappears completely in the frying process — hot oil and starch chemistry transform it into something crunchy. This was one of the most popular summer vegetables in the mountain South.