Fried Okra

serves 4

Corn flour or masa harina is widely available, in particular the brand Maseca. If you cannot find corn flour you can use corn meal.

2 cups okra, cut into half inch pieces (about one bag frozen)

½ cup buttermilk

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

½ cup corn flour (masa harina)

½ cup all-purpose flour

oil for frying

In a small bowl, combine cut okra, salt, pepper and buttermilk. Let sit for about five minutes then drain into a strainer. In another larger bowl combine corn flour and flour. Toss okra into flour mixture. Working with your hands or a fork, separate the pieces of okra so that all the pieces get covered. Depending on how wet your okra is, you may need to add a little more flour and/or corn flour.

Heat one inch of oil in a large heavy-duty pan over medium-high heat. Test the oil by adding one piece of okra; it should bubble immediately as soon as you add it to the pot (350 F). When the oil is hot, add the okra (you may need to cook it in two batches). Fry, occasionally rotating until light golden brown. Remove to a pan lined with newspaper and paper towels. Lightly salt and serve hot. You can fry the okra ahead of time then heat it up in a hot oven for five minutes right before serving. A convection oven is very helpful if you want to get it back to the original crispiness.