That’s the most common statement out of the mouth of a
non-Southerner when they first see the magnificent green vegetable we call okra. It’s a crying shame they didn’t
have the opportunity to grow up eating it as we all did. It is some kind of goodness fried and crunchy,
I tell you! But it’s a mess to cook if
you’re world is as busy as mine. I don’t
have time for battering and frying anything, not even Okra. So when my beloved “G” emailed me this hot
tip, I jumped on it fast! And le’me tell
ya! Yum…mee! So if you’ve had fried okra and loved it or
you've never even heard of it, give this quick, easy, and healthier version a
try sometime. I guarantee (pronounced gay-rone-tea)
it will amaze you. And you won’t miss
the batter, at all!
Ingredients
Okra, sliced in 1/2" pieces (I use frozen, but I bet
fresh is even better!)
Olive Oil, just enough to lightly coat
Salt and Pepper
Preheat the oven to 375.
Place the okra in a bowl and sprinkle it with the remaining
ingredients. Toss to coat. Spread out evenly on a foil lined baking sheet
or a stone like I use. Bake for about
15-20 minutes. Voila! That’s it!
Dish it up and enjoy!
Lagniappe:
- When I make this and it’s time to pull it out of the oven, it always grosses me out to see that it’s still a little slimy. No worries though…once it’s out of the oven and you serve it up, it’s fine. There’s no slime at all, promise! My kids fight over this stuff and they wouldn’t touch anything remotely slimy…ever. Because you know, it might mess up their nails or something!
- When I make Gumbo I always “fry” or “sweat” out
the slime from my okra before adding it to the pot of gum-yum. I just never like to have that goo in
there. And it’s a little time consuming
when you’re making a big ol’ pot of deliciousness for a crowd. However, you can bet your bottom dollar that
I’ll be “sweating” out the goo by way of the oven from now on! Yesirree! Can you say Gumbeaux?
