Southern Comfort · Free recipe
Cornmeal Fried Okra
Bite-size okra rounds in a crunchy seasoned cornmeal coat, fried until golden. Crisp on the outside, tender inside, and impossible to stop eating.
Step 1
Rinse the okra and pat it completely dry. Trim off the stem ends, then slice the pods into half-inch rounds.
Step 2
Put the okra rounds in a bowl and pour the buttermilk over them. Stir so every piece is coated and let them sit 5 minutes.
Step 3
In a separate bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, salt, garlic powder, paprika, black pepper, and cayenne.
Step 4
Pour the oil into a large deep skillet or pot so it is about 1.5 inches deep. Clip on a thermometer and heat over medium-high to 360 F. A pinch of cornmeal should sizzle right away.
Step 5
Set a wire rack over a baking sheet next to the stove for the finished okra.
Step 6
Working in handfuls, lift the okra out of the buttermilk with a slotted spoon, letting the excess drip off, then drop it into the cornmeal mixture. Toss until every piece is well coated.
Step 7
Shake the coated okra in a dry sieve or your hands to knock off loose cornmeal, which would otherwise burn in the oil.
Step 8
Carefully lower a batch of okra into the hot oil, but do not crowd the pan or the pieces will steam instead of crisp.
Step 9
Fry for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring gently once or twice, until the coating is deep golden and crunchy.
Step 10
Scoop the okra out with the slotted spoon onto the wire rack and sprinkle with a little salt while hot.
Step 11
Let the oil return to 360 F between batches. Serve the fried okra hot, on its own or with a dip like ranch or remoulade.
Tips from the test kitchen
- Fresh okra fries up much crispier than frozen, which releases extra moisture.
- Fry in small batches to keep the oil hot and the coating crunchy.
