Fried Okra
2 lbs / 900 g okra
Mix together 1cup corn meal
+ 1/2 cup flour + salt and black pepper to taste, 1 teaspoon paprika
1 1/2 quarts vegetable oil for deep frying
1. Pour oil in frying pan. Heat over medium heat until the oil sizzles when you drop a bit of cornmeal in.
2. Trim stems and tips off of the okra and cut into 1/2″ slices. If you�re using frozen sliced okra, you could thaw it in the microwave.
3. By the time you are finished cutting the okra, it should be a bit slimy. This is good! The sliminess is the glue that holds the cornmeal to the okra. If the okra is not slimy, add a splash of water and stir. Put the okra into a large plastic Ziplock bag and pour in some of the cornmeal mixture. Toss the okra so that all the pieces are coated. Add more cornmeal coating if you think you need more. You really can�t overdo it, once all of the pieces are coated the excess cornmeal will remain in the bag.
4. Assuming the oil is now hot, put some of the okra from the bag into the oil. Continue adding okra to the oil until the skillet is 75% full. You need to leave a bit of room for the okra to move around as it cooks. (You may have to cook several batches, depending on how much okra you started with and the size of your skillet.)
5. The okra will need to fry for several minutes. Stir gently every now and then to encourage even frying on all sides. Remove the okra from the skillet when it has turned a nice golden brown, place on kitcken paper or brown paper so some of the oil can drain away.
The breaded okra can be prepared ahead of frying and store in the freezer until ready for frying. Thaw before frying.