1 pound fresh okra
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to
taste
Vegetable oil
Wash and slice okra; pat dry with paper
towels.
Combine eggs and buttermilk; add okra, and
let stand for 10 minutes.
Combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt
and pepper. (If you're feeling like something spicy, you
can add cayenne pepper... it'll wake you up.)
Pour oil to depth of 2 to 3-inches in a
Dutch oven of deep-fat fryer and heat to 375º.
Drain okra, small portions at a time, using
a slotted spoon.
Dredge okra, small portions at a time, in
flour mixture.
Fry okra until golden brown. Drain on paper
towels and serve immediately.
§
"Life expectancy would
grow by leaps and bounds if green vegetables smelled as good as
bacon." ~Doug Larson
§
Mama
Mable made some damn fine fried chicken... but even though I HATE buttermilk, I
have to tell you that Alton Brown of FoodTV
makes the BEST fried chicken I've ever tasted. Sorry Mom.
1 broiler/fryer chicken, cut into 8 pieces
2 cups low fat buttermilk
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons Hungarian paprika
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Flour, for dredging
Vegetable shortening, for frying
Place chicken pieces into
a plastic container and cover with
buttermilk. Cover and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours.
Melt enough shortening
(over low heat) to come just 1/8-inch up the side of a 12-inch cast iron
skillet or heavy fry pan. Once shortening liquefies raise heat to 325 degrees
F. Do not allow oil to go over 325 degrees F.
Drain chicken in a
colander. Combine salt, paprika, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper. Liberally
season chicken with this mixture. Dredge chicken in flour and shake off excess.
Place
chicken skin side down into the pan. Put thighs in the center, and breast and
legs around the edge of the pan. The oil should come half way up the pan. Cook
chicken until golden brown on each side, approximately 10 to 12 minutes per
side. More importantly, the internal temperature should be right around 180
degrees. (Be careful to monitor shortening temperature every few minutes.)
Drain chicken on a rack
over a sheet pan. Don't drain by setting chicken directly on paper towels or
brown paper bags - this is crucial! If you need to hold the chicken before
serving, cover loosely with foil but avoid holding in a warm oven, especially
if it's a gas oven.