Okra Fritters

Everyday Food (October 2010)

There may be no Southern dish that's closer to our hearts than classic fried okra. It's hot and crunchy on the outside, with the great flavor of fresh okra inside.

We know okra can be somewhat divisive: Lots of people are turned off by it. We happen to love it, and as we've said before, if you think you don't like okra, it's just because you haven't fried it.

So when we saw these Okra Fritters in the October Everyday Food, we couldn't wait to try them.

How would they stack up to our beloved classic fried okra?

In many ways, these fritters are even easier to prepare than traditional fried okra. In the classic recipe, you slice the okra, coat the slices in an egg-milk mixture, dredge them in cornmeal and flour, and then fry them in oil. For the fritters, you just mix everything in a bowl and then scoop out spoonfuls to fry. 

The ingredients are essentially the same, though these fritters include a chopped onion, which adds a nice hint of sharpness and sweetness. The biggest difference is the meal: Our classic fried okra batter is mostly cornmeal; these fritters rely solely on flour. The result is that the fritters are lighter and crispier (although we'd love to try adding a little cornmeal to the fritter batter, just for the extra oopmh it would give).

So how'd the fritters turn out?

They are insanely tasty. They're light and crisp -- almost airy -- with the fantastic vegetal flavor of okra throughout.

We've already made these fritters twice: Once for ourselves, and once as an appetizer for a dinner with some friends. They were a huge hit both times.

We'll always have a soft spot in our hearts (and bellies) for classic fried okra. But because these fritters are so simple, and because they taste so darn good, we daresay we may have found a new okra fave.

 

Okra Fritters
Everyday Food (October 2010)
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(This photo: Everyday Food)

Total time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 cups vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 2 cups frozen sliced okra, thawed and coarsely chopped
• 1/2 small yellow onion, diced small (1/2 cup)
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup buttermilk

Directions

1. In a large, heavy skillet, heat oil over medium. In a medium bowl, combine flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add okra and onion and toss to coat. In a small bowl, whisk together egg and buttermilk. Add to okra mixture and stir just until combined.
2. In two batches, drop batter in 2-tablespoonful mounds into oil. With a small spatula or butter knife, gently flatten each mound and fry until golden, about 4 minutes per side, flipping once (adjust heat if browning too quickly). Drain on paper towels. Season with salt and serve warm. Makes about 10.