Pan Fried Okra with Sriracha

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Okra seems to be pretty polarized in the food world, with it’s champions and detractors holding pretty strong positions at their respective ends of the spectrum. I have a personal affinity for the aloe like mucilage that hides in the prehistoric looking pods, but I know many recipes have you soak the okra to remove the “slime.” Not this girl…bring on the slime!

This particular incarnation keeps the okra fresh and crunchy on the outside, so you get the contrast of the silky center and the pop of the seeds to tantalize your taste buds. The light crunch of the cornmeal and the zest of one of the most coveted condiments ever just moves this one into the realm of veggie Valhalla.

I can thank Kathryn Lovell, the best mother-in-law a girl could ask for, for this recipe inspiration. She made this for us one night–sans the sriracha– on their house boat, and I have been obsessed with it ever since. The key here is fresh cut okra. You just season and use the okra’s natural aloe like center to make the fine cornmeal adhere. Frozen okra does not work in this particular situation, so make sure you are using fresh. Also make sure to discard the giant woody pieces as this doesn’t cook long enough to tenderize that tough old shit.

Ingredients:

8 cups of fresh cut okra

1tsp garlic salt

1 tsp fresh ground black pepper

1 tsp paprika

1/2 cup fine yellow cornmeal

1/4 cup of oil for frying (your choice as I know some of you hippies will only use coconut oil or yak juice).

sriracha as a condiment

Directions:

Season fresh cut okra with garlic salt, pepper and paprika and toss well. Then toss in fine cornmeal until well coated.

Heat frying pan or cast iron skillet and then add okra and sautee for 3 – 5 minutes just until bright green and crunchy.

Serve with sriracha drizzled over the top or on the side for dipping.