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Southern Fried Okra

Print Recipe
Servings: 4 servngs
Course: Appetizer, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

For the Okra
  • vegetable oil for frying
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tbsp Louisiana hot sauce or your favorite
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 cup yellow cornmeal
  • 2 tsp. cayenne pepper (omit if you don't like the heat or reduce the amount)
  • 2 tsp garlic powder or granulated garlic
  • 1 tbsp salt plus more for seasoning
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 2 lbs okra, either sliced into 1/2 inch thick rounds or sliced down the middle like I did)
For the Buttermilk Dip
  • 3/4 cup buttermilk, not low fat
  • 1/2 cup mayonaise
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
  • 1 tsp minced garlic
  • 1 tbsp green onion tops
  • salt to taste

Method
 

For the Okra
  1. Heat the oil in a deep-fryer to 360°F or in a heavy iron dutch oven, or similar.




  2. In a small bowl, whisk the buttermilk, egg, and hot sauce to combine. In a second bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, cayenne, granulated garlic, the 1 tablespoon salt, and the black pepper.
  3. Working in batches, dredge the okra first in the buttermilk mixture, allowing any excess to drip off, then in the flour mixture. Shake to remove any extra breading. Repeat until all of the okra is breaded.
  4. Fry the okra, in batches, in the hot oil, turning it as necessary, until lightly golden, about 5 minutes. Transfer the fried okra to paper towels to drain, and season lightly with salt. Repeat with the remaining okra.
  5. Serve the okra hot, with the Creamy Buttermilk Dip on the side for dipping.
For the Buttermilk Dip
  1. Combine the buttermilk, mayonnaise, sour cream, cayenne, garlic, and chives in a small bowl, and stir to mix well. Add salt to taste. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve (up to 1 day in advance).