Properly burned fried okra

[Chuck Bao]

I don't have that down yet. I don't have a cast iron skillet, either.

I willing to work on it, if any of you have suggestions.

Not that frozen breaded stuff either. Fresh.

I get it fresh all year.

Of course, the rest of the world calls it Lady Fingers instead of okra. And, they don't know how to properly burn it or mix it in with black-eyed peas and fresh tomatos.

Why they don't know this, I don't know. Sometimes I think the rest of the world are the hillbillies.

[LilSooner]

corn meal. Please for the love of tell me you are using cornmeal. And for god sakes by you a good cast iron skillet and season it your self. None of this pre season crap that they have on the market.

[King Crimson]

yep. corn meal.

[GottaHavePride]

Actually the pre-seasoned isn't that bad. You can get a pre-seasoned skillet in good shape with a solid week of use. But seriously, chuck, cast iron is pretty dang cheap. Do they not sell it over there?

[Chuck Bao]

corn meal. Please for the love of tell me you are using cornmeal. And for god sakes by you a good cast iron skillet and season it your self. None of this pre season crap that they have on the market.

I did not use cornmeal and I now know I should be ashamed about that, LilSooner.

I was using some Japanese tempura crap.

Are cast iron skillets easy to find in Oklahoma these days? Okay, google is my friend as is my credit card. I'm going to order one over the internet and some cornmeal. The okra I have.

[GottaHavePride]

A cast iron skillet made by Lodge costs $25 or so and you can get them at any Wal-Mart. Happy hunting. ;)

[LilSooner]

Good boy, and don't be afraid to throw some course salt in the mix or if ya fell really crazy put in some garlic salt.

[SoonerJack]

yes, lil calls it with the cornmeal and the cast iron. also, try not to put too much in at one time. you get a more even burn if you cook a layer at a time then put it in the oven on paper towels. i usually salt and pepper mine right before it goes in the oven to dry.

there is nothing better than properly fried okra. amen.

[Ike]

My mom used to make awesome fried okra from scratch...


but I have no idea how she did it.

[Chuck Bao]

While I'm confessing really embarrassing stuff. I used to fry okra in a wok and I used so much Japanese batter that I could flip it like a flapjack.

It wasn't bad. It wasn't right, either.

[soonerloyal]

Tempura batter on okra? Y'all DamnYankees of somethin'?!

Actually, until you get the hang of frying okra, it doesn't negate your Southern status much to add just a little bit of flour in with your corn meal (well, no more than it does for you to not know how to fry up okra by now LOL). Don't stir the okra while it's frying, just gently nudge it some; then turn gently.

I can't find decent okra where I am, so I have to resort to the frozen coated stuff. Barbarous, I tell ya.

[OklaPony]

For all you low-carb folks, you can actually fry okra by itself with no batter or corn meal. Hey, I know it's far from the typical Okie way but when you're jonesin' hard for the good stuff, you gotta get it any way you can.

[TUSooner]

While I'm confessing really embarrassing stuff. I used to fry okra in a wok and I used so much Japanese batter that I could flip it like a flapjack.

It wasn't bad. It wasn't right, either.
If it was good, it was right enough.
Corn FLOUR also works nicely, or any combination of corn meal and corn flour

[AlbqSooner]

When you get the cast iron skillet, it will perform MUCH better if you season it properly. Fry several strips of bacon, remove the bacon and keep the grease in the skillet. Heat it until it almost smokes then take it off the stove. Let it sit till it is cool and then heat it again.

Once you have a cast iron skillet properly seasoned, DO NOT use soap to clean it. Plenty of hot water to rinse and scrape out anything that is not grease. Dry it completely once it cools from the hot water.

[GottaHavePride]

Then brush on another thin layer of oil (or bacon grease) on and heat the sucker back up. It's that last step that keeps it pretty and non-stick.

[critical_phil]

Once you have a cast iron skillet properly seasoned, DO NOT use soap to clean it. Plenty of hot water to rinse and scrape out anything that is not grease. Dry it completely once it cools from the hot water.

i don't think my skillet has ever had a drop of water in it.