If you are from the south, you are undoubtedly familiar with the vegetable okra and even better, fried okra. But if you are not, you might not be acquainted with this delicacy. Although my mother is Italian and I grew up eating her home cooking, she learned to fix several of my dad’s favorite down home southern cooking dishes and fried okra was one of them.
When we lived in Puerto Rico, my parents had a garden down on the beach which grew out of the seaweed that they gathered off the beach. This garden produce large quantities of okra which my mother would fry up into yummy little morsels of deliciousness.
When we moved back to Italy, we no longer had fried okra very often because okra is not known in Italy. So it wasn’t until I came to live in the states that I remembered how much I loved this fried food.
Unfortunately, fried foods are going out of vogue and I do not order them as often as I would like not to mention that the only place you can usually find them is in barbecue restaurants. So imagine how excited I was to discover that if you roast them in an oven they can turn out just like fried okra,. You don’t even need to batter them; they still taste so delicious! Curious? Want to try them? Here’s what you do.
It is best if you wash the okra the day before you plan on making this dish. This allows them to be dry when you are ready to prepare them. And I want to warn you, if you have never worked with okra before that there is a slimy gel-like substance on the inside when you cut it. Not to worry! You don’t notice it when you roast it. I think it’s the gel that crisps them up. My theory, unsubstantiated.
So begin with already washed and therefore dry okra. Cut off the stem end, then cut the pods into little wagon wheels and add to your roasting pan. Be sure your pan is large enough to give the okra a lot of room. This is how they crisp up. If they are piled up and touching, they steam rather than roast and then the slime is quite noticeable! You’ve been warned. Ask me how I know. Because when BOTH of my double ovens went out, I had to resort to using our toaster oven. You can take it from there, right?
When you have but up all the pods, drizzle with olive oil so as to coat but not drown the wheels.
Sprinkle liberally with salt, preferably sea salt or kosher salt, but table salt is fine.
Pop the pan into your preheated oven and roast ,about 15 minutes. Give the okra a stir and let it roast another 10 to 15 minutes, being careful not to burn them. The key here is to get them crispy but not burnt. When they are sufficiently browned, they are done.
I hope you enjoy them as much as I do! Buon appetito!
- Wash and dry the okra ahead of time.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Starting with dry okra, cut into little rounds.
- Place in roasting pan and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle liberally with salt.
- Roast in 400 degree oven for 15 minutes. Stir and cook another 10 to 15 minutes, checking to be sure it doesn't burn.
- Okra is done when browned to your satisfaction.
I’ve passed okra a couple times at our grocery store, wondering what the heck it was. I’m going to try this next time I see some!
Let me know what you think when you do! I’m curious what you think 😉
Since, as you know, I grew up in the South, I do love me some fried okra! And not that batter-dipped fried okra they have in restaurants sometimes. No, sir! It’s best dredged in cornmeal, fried in bacon drippings, in a cast-iron skillet. I hadn’t had “real” okra in years, so I was thrilled to spot some in the produce department at Trader Joe’s this summer. I brought a bag home and fixed it just the way my mother makes it. Oh, it smelled good! Tasted good, too! EXCEPT it was tough and had these hard little fibers in it. They had let it get too big before harvesting it. I was so disappointed.
If and when I ever get a chance to fix it again, I’m going to try roasting it like you suggested. I have discovered I LOVE roasted vegetables of all kinds. My favorite is cauliflower. I seriously could eat an entire head of roasted cauliflower in one sitting, just like I used to eat french fries! I usually don’t… because I usually hafta share… but I could!
Well, okra IS a summer crop so we are on the way out. I bet what is available now in stores are the end-of-season ones. Pin it to remind yourself for next summer! I love roasted veggies too. Have you tried sweet potatoes?
It was earlier this summer… a couple months ago, so it should have been “in season.” I expect it’s just the wrong part of the country. I have not tried sweet potatoes. I have some right now, so I’ll definitely try that! Do you do them the same way? Just with olive oil and salt? That’s how I do cauliflower and other veggies.
Well, that’s just shameful then of TJ’s! For the sweet potatoes, yes: olive oil and salt. Last time I added some summer savory. I’ve also made it with rosemary. All three were great. I’ve done the same thing with delicata squash and butternut. Try it and let me know how you like it!