Yes, I did an okra fritter back early last February.
But -
With the bounty of okra I snagged from the Okra Man, and my own voluminous production... we need to repeat some things.. and the okra fritters were / are something that warrant a second look.
The first time around, being winter and all, I used frozen okra. Which in the grand scope of things has a few benefits over fresh. (a) The freezing breaks down the cell structure a bit and allows for quicker cooking, and (b), freezing seems to cut back on all that slime production and general liquid some. And while still the best fritter thingy I've made to date, I wanted to see how fresh out of the garden okra would fare.
First off, I've sliced the okra THIN - 1/8", which offsets the concern of cooking time. I've also cut back the original liquids by 1/4 cup to account for the ever present slime, and added extra flavors - (Not everyone loves the taste of okra quite as much as I do, so I've taken you guys into consideration.) so there's the addition of some crab boil seasoning and hot peppers. Both of which made for a pretty tasty fried.. fritterer.. kind of thing.
.JPG)
Originally adapted from "Best of Georgia Farms"
Makes 12 - 2" Fritters
Ingredients
1 Pound of Okra - Cut into 1/8" pieces
2 Scallions - Finely Chopped
2 Santa Fe (or 1 Jalepeno) Pepper - Seeded, Ribbed, and minced
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
2 Teaspoons Old Bay (or in my case Old Savannah) Seasoning
1 Egg
3/4 Cup Water
1/2 Cup All Purpose Flour
1/2 Cup Self Rising Cornmeal Mix
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1/8 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
1 Cup Vegetable Oil
2 Large Mixing Bowls
Spatula
Large Serving Spoon
Large Flat Skillet
- In one bowl, combine cut okra, onion, salt, pepper,egg,and water - mix well
- In the second bowl combine the flour, baking powder, cornmeal, garlic powder and Old Bay Seasoning
- Add the dry mix to the okra mixture and stir well to combine
- Place the skillet on medium high with the oil about 1/2" high
- Spoon out egg-sized portions of the mix and place in the oil
- Fry over medium high heat until well browned on each side (About 4 minutes per side)
- Drain on paper towels
The fritters will be "corn cake" soft in the center. If you'd prefer to have them crispier, preheat the oven to 350 and place the fritters on a rack in the oven and bake for an additional 15 minutes to dry them out a bit and set the outer crunch.
Serve them with your favorite tartar sauce - or - try my Red Eye Remoulade..
Red Eye Gravy is a Southern sauce (gravy) typically made with fried (salt cured) country ham drippings or bacon, then mixed with coffee and pepper or paprika (although, it has been known to contain Coca Cola in some rather unsavory surroundings), and served with biscuits or grits. I thought since the fritter is made from good southern stock (okra), the coffee / peppery flavors would work perfectly well with the fritter.
.JPG)
Plate Fodder Red Eye Remoulade
a riff on Southern Red Eye Gravy
Makes about a cup and a half
Ingredients
1 Cup Mayonnaise
2 Teaspoons Instant Coffee
1/2 Teaspoon Paprika
1 Teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
1/4 Cup Sweet Pickle Relish
1 Clove Garlic - Smashed and Minced
- Mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl and chill for 1 hour
.jpg)
Posts
