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Cajun Fried Okra

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Cajun Fried OkraFresh Okra

 

Okra, okra, okra, okraaaaa! I think if I were to go to prison for some food crime (like hating rhubarb, probably), fried okra would be part of my last meal. Growing up, I preferred this stuff over McD’s fries any day. Turns out, nothing has really changed with regard to that.

Since we are all adults here, I decided to twist things up a bit with some added kick– Cajun Fried Okra it is.

 

Fresh Okra

 

I’ve said it before in the original fried okra post, but I feel like I should just go ahead and say it again… I really, really, really prefer these suckers whole. [Whole as in with the tops trimmed off– I’m not an animal.] They become handheld, deliciously crunchy almost, street food-like snacks. Anything that you can eat with your hands just tastes better. [Fries, funnel cakes, fried everythings. Case and point.]

 

Leave the little pointy tips alone. That’s like the best part. The fried exterior all comes together right there for a super-crisp bite. Chopping those off would be like throwing the corner piece of the cake onto the floor and kicking it into a dust-pan. Ridiculous.

 

Fresh OkraOkra Dip in Buttermilk

 

Speaking of ridiculous… Have y’all heard that there are some people that have never had fried okra?! Like… What have you done wrong in life to deserve being deprived so deeply of something so life-changing?? I jut can’t even imagine…

 

Anyway– The secret to a perfectly fried okra has to be the dips. [When I dip, you dip, we dip.]

Flour, buttermilk, flour. Always. (Ignore the fact that the photo above completely lacks flour before it’s milk bath. I got overly excited like and totally screwed up the first round.) Stick to that plan and the shell wont slide off. Nothing worse than fried food that loses its’ crisp (literally) after one bite.

 

Cajun Fried Okra

 

The Cajun kick is really where it’s at. I’m not sure I’ll ever make “regular” fried okra again. Ok… We all know that’s a stretch (just like my favorite pants after all of these). But, seriously. These are just amazingly good. You could even not tell your guests and add a bit more flare than the recipe calls for just to see their “oh. shit. HOT.” reactions. Nothing better than a dinner party surprise, right!? (Also.. Instagram photos of this happening and tag us. Kthx.)

Cajun Okra = Perfect Side!Cajun Fried Okra

To sum it all up– Cajun and fry everything. That is all. *dancing emoji*

 

Cajun Fried Okra
 
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Southern-style fried okra with a kick-- Cajun Fried Okra from SouthernFATTY.com.
Serves: 3-4 servings
Ingredients
Okra
  • 1 lb fresh okra, washed/dried, tops trimmed
  • ½ cup flour plus ½ cup flour, divided
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • ½ cup cornmeal
Cajun Seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon granulated garlic (or powder)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • ½ teaspoon oregano, dried
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
  • ¼ teaspoon cumin, ground
  • ¼ teaspoon onion powder
  • ¼-1/2 teaspoon cayenne, (more for spicy, less for more mild)
  • pinch cinnamon
  • additional salt & pepper, to taste
Instructions
  1. Heat oil to 350 F. (enough to cover okra)
  2. After washing & drying, Trim fresh okra tops. I prefer to leave whole instead of chopping into small pieces.
  3. In bowl #1, add one portion of flour and add a healthy pinch each of salt and pepper.
  4. In bowl #2, mix together remaining four, cornmeal.
  5. In bowl #3, add buttermilk. (sub milk with teaspoon lemon juice, sit for 5 minutes, if no buttermilk on hand)
  6. Combine Cajun seasonings in a small bowl. Add about ¾ of seasoning to the flour/cornmeal mix.
  7. Keep the remaining Cajun seasoning on hand to season okra after frying.
  8. Place okra in bowl #1 (flour, s&p). Toss well.
  9. Transfer to buttermilk.
  10. Transfer to bowl with flour/cornmeal/Cajun and cover well, pressing mix around okra well to form a solid crust. Tap off excess carefully.
  11. Transfer okra to a sheet pan to rest for 5-10 minutes. This will allow the outer layer to "gum up" and give a better, more stable crispy exterior.
  12. Carefully fry until golden brown, about 5 minutes.
  13. Remove to paper towel lined pan. Toss with more Cajun and salt/pepper, if desired.
  14. Enjoy! -- More on SouthernFATTY.com.
  15. Tag your photos on social media with @SouthernFATTY // #southernfatty so we can see!
Notes
2015 - SouthernFATTY.com
Nutrition Information
Serving size: 1 serving

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  1. Great recipe! Worked perfectly. The breading stayed put. We used pickled okra just to kick it up another notch. It’s how we typically store it from our garden. Just drained them on paper towels for a while before starting. Anyone worried about the slime should know that pickling them makes it go away and the skin kind of crispy. Being from the south also, out of habit, I always heavily hot sauce my buttermilk dredge.

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  2. Wow! Thank you SO much. I just found this recipe. We have a bumper crop of okra this year (one good thing about 2021) and I was saying there has to be some recipe out there to spice this up. FOUND IT! Have you ever tried freezing it after the “gum up” stage? We have so much and would love to have this in the winter. Thanks again!

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  3. Wow! Never considered frying okra! In Greece we usually eat it braised with tomato and onion. Could you serve this with some kind of dipping sauce? What would go best? Thanks.

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    • It’s wonderful! A southern dish I grew up with. I usually like it with a horseradish sauce (mayo or yogurt + horseradish mixed well with a bit of lemon juice and salt).

      -Phillip
      Have a photo to share? Tag us on social using @southernfatty / #southernfatty!

      Reply

  4. I’ve grown up, since the 1960s, on fried okra, (“okrey”) but always cut into pieces. Is the full length version… er… slimy… inside? My mother and my wife could eat it boiled, but I can’t get past the gag reflex! >shudder<

    Reply

    • I’m right there with you! I hate slimy okra. You’ll notice the slimy stuff when you chop the tops off, but the buttermilk solves it completely. A little bit of acidity actually gets rid of that. If you stew okra, you can dip them in a bit of water with a splash of vinegar and it helps a ton. These are just crispy and delicious. Enjoy!

      Reply

  7. Trying this kicking okra now. About to fire my skillet up.
    I’ll let you know the out come.

    Reply

  8. I know, SACRE BLEU!!!
    I can’t locate fresh okra, but found a 10 oz bag o’ frozen :/
    Ccccan I mmmmmake this incredible sounding recipe wit em?
    Thanks in advance. Cannot WAIT to try soooo many of your recipes!!! Only bummer is I don’t have anyone to cook for …alas no pretty girl to call my own and enjoy being cooked for.

    Reply

  11. Timing! I just had two little okra seedlings come up in my garden yesterday! To be honest, I’m one of those who has never eaten okra before (doesn’t seem to exist in Salt Lake), so I decided to grow some this summer and figure out what to do with it. You have aimed me in the right direction with these fried beauties. Thank you.

    Reply