My grandmother grew up in Georgia, and her meals were always redolent with the flavors of the South. I never tasted okra until she cooked it, and her version was so different from any other okra recipes I’ve seen that I want to share it with you. Okra can be stringy, slimy, and tough – or you can make it like this and get something very different. She used to chop okra into coins, roll it in cornmeal, and flash fry it into crispy little bites that were more like cocktail snacks than a soupy vegetable side dish.
I added the corn base because the flavor of the two vegetables combined is a classic end of summer appreciation. I love this recipe, just as I loved the way my grandmother cooked: ambrosia, creamed onions, cornbread, spiced crabapples, hot bacon and potato salad, and of course, pecan pie. More of those recipes to follow…
Okra Coins and Corn Off the Cob
Serves: 6
Prep time: 40 minutes
Ingredients
For the okra:
- 1 pound fresh okra, washed and drained
- ¾ cup cornmeal
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- canola oil – enough to fill a small saucepan with two inches of oil
For the corn:
- 6 ears of fresh sweet corn
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon sugar
Directions
- Chop the okra into coin-sized slices.
- Mix salt into cornmeal.
- Dip okra into cornmeal and salt mixture and set aside.
- Heat oil in a saucepan until it is smoking hot.
- Gently drop okra pieces into the oil and allow to cook for about a minute, until they turn brown and pop to the top of the oil.
- Remove with slatted spoon and drain well on paper towels.
- While you are frying the okra, boil the corn in a large pot, to which sugar has been added, for 5 minutes (don’t overcook.) Pour off the water and allow corn to cool.
- Cut the corn off the cob and place in a serving bowl.
- Add melted butter, salt, pepper and parsley and mix.
- Mound the cooked okra on top and serve immediately.
