okay, let's get this part out of the way right off . . .
some people hate okra. never had it, they just hate it....anyway.
so, on to the good stuff:
first - when it comes to okra and eggplant, bigger is not better. bigger is worse.
okra pods should be (cap to tip) less than four inches / 10 cm
after that size you get hollow, seedy slices.
next, freshness is key. consume within 24-36 hours post picking. or toss them, they are not good when kept for days.
over size / over freshness is the slime factor. the breading largely eliminates any slimy mouth feel.
good pan fired okra is mostly technique. the breading/resting/retossing is one key, pan&oil temp also key. over cooking = soft mush, not desired.
prep a whole egg wash - I use two large eggs with 2-3 tablespoons / 30-45 ml of water, whisked to a light foam.
prep the breading 60% cornmeal to 40% AP flour, salt and pepper. stir/sift/blend well.
wash, slice off tip
slice about 1/3 inch (8 mm) thick and scoop slices directly into egg wash.
stir slices around to ensure even coating.
about 25 minutes prior to pan frying (which takes 6-8 minutes) remove from egg wash and allow to drain thoroughly. (I use a spider . . )
when drained, dredge in breading mixture. I use a generous amount of cornmeal/flour in a large round bottom bowl, which makes 'tossing to coat' easy. coat, allow to stand 5 minutes, retoss to recoat another 5 minutes.
hotten the pan, use oil of choice, toss to ensure even dry looking coating, sift out okra pieces and put in hot pan - try to carry a minimum of coating flour over into pan. heated pan - they should sizzle when they hit the pan. allow to brown one side, then go with a shake-stir in the pan to achieve even color/cooking.
some people hate okra. never had it, they just hate it....anyway.
so, on to the good stuff:
first - when it comes to okra and eggplant, bigger is not better. bigger is worse.
okra pods should be (cap to tip) less than four inches / 10 cm
after that size you get hollow, seedy slices.
next, freshness is key. consume within 24-36 hours post picking. or toss them, they are not good when kept for days.
over size / over freshness is the slime factor. the breading largely eliminates any slimy mouth feel.
good pan fired okra is mostly technique. the breading/resting/retossing is one key, pan&oil temp also key. over cooking = soft mush, not desired.
prep a whole egg wash - I use two large eggs with 2-3 tablespoons / 30-45 ml of water, whisked to a light foam.
prep the breading 60% cornmeal to 40% AP flour, salt and pepper. stir/sift/blend well.
wash, slice off tip
slice about 1/3 inch (8 mm) thick and scoop slices directly into egg wash.
stir slices around to ensure even coating.
about 25 minutes prior to pan frying (which takes 6-8 minutes) remove from egg wash and allow to drain thoroughly. (I use a spider . . )
when drained, dredge in breading mixture. I use a generous amount of cornmeal/flour in a large round bottom bowl, which makes 'tossing to coat' easy. coat, allow to stand 5 minutes, retoss to recoat another 5 minutes.
hotten the pan, use oil of choice, toss to ensure even dry looking coating, sift out okra pieces and put in hot pan - try to carry a minimum of coating flour over into pan. heated pan - they should sizzle when they hit the pan. allow to brown one side, then go with a shake-stir in the pan to achieve even color/cooking.
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