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Sunday, January 31, 2016

Cajun Okra Fries

Shallow fried crispy okra sprinkled liberally with Cajun seasonings make a great appetizer or snack for all your game watching get-togethers. Or frankly, any party situation. Or movie night. Or Mardi Gras! 

There are only three ways I’ll eat okra. Spicy and pickled is my absolute favorite and if I can’t get Talk o' Texas brand, I’ve been known to pickle my own. Second best is sliced up, coated with cornmeal and deep-fried till crunchy. I can pop those little golden nuggets like most people eat popcorn. Third best is in a gumbo or stew, cooked down till you don’t really see the okra anymore, but the flavor is still there. And that’s been it for my whole lifetime. Until this week.

Last year for my birthday, I received a subscription to Delicious. magazine online, which I have truly enjoyed. In one of the recent issues, they shared a recipe for okra that was deep-fried then sprinkled with an Indian spice mix that sounded good, if I could find all the ingredients.  I immediately thought of my ready-in-the-shaker Cajun spices – already in my cupboard and so much easier! Okra and anything Cajun just go together naturally too.

This week my Sunday Supper group is sharing recipes that are great for football championship watching parties. Over here in Dubai, we don’t hear much about it, but I know the airwaves and newspapers in the United States are full of information overload about the upcoming Super Bowl. But one can never have too much good food, am I right? So make sure you scroll down to the bottom and check out our link list of tasty big game party recipes!


This is the last group post and celebration of National Sunday Supper Month so our participant list is huge!  Many thanks to our host for this wonderful event, T.R. of Gluten-free Crumbley. If you haven't signed the Sunday Supper pledge to spend more time around the family table in 2016, there's still time! Just click on this link and take the pledge. You will not regret it!

I’ve got to tell you that my husband is not a fan of okra so I thought I would get to eat this whole batch by myself. He came home from work a little early the day I was making these okra fries and ended up eating most of them while I wrote up the recipe. What a bittersweet victory for this okra lover! Never mind. Next time I will double the amount because, I can assure you, there will definitely be a next time.

Adapted from this recipe at Delicious.

Ingredients
12 oz or 340g tender young okra
Canola or other light oil for frying
Cajun seasonings

Method
Wash the okra and dry them thoroughly.

Use a sharp knife to cut off the stem end and then slice the okra in half lengthwise.


Lay the pieces cut side down on a bed of paper towels and leave to dry for at least three hours.

This step can even be done a day ahead. After the okra have dried for a couple of hours, roll them up in the paper towels, wrap with cling film and refrigerate in the vegetable drawer till you are ready to fry.

When you are ready to fry them, lay out a single layer of paper towels on some sheets of newspaper and put it near your frying station. But not so close that you are going to catch it on fire, please. Have the Cajun spices standing by as well.

Heat about an inch or 2.5cm of oil in a large frying pan, over a medium flame.

Test the heat of the oil by putting one slice of okra in. If it sizzles vigorously, the oil is hot enough.

Lower the okra slices gently into the oil, in small batches, making sure not to splash and not to crowd the pan.



Fry for a few minutes on the first side then use some tongs to turn them over to brown the other side. The okra is done when both sides are golden brown, about 3-4 minutes on each side.



Remove from the oil and place on the paper towels to drain. Sprinkle immediately with the Cajun seasonings.



Continue frying the okra slices in batches until all are golden and crispy, then well seasoned.


Enjoy!

Are you looking for game day party food inspiration? We’ve got a bunch of winners for you, no matter if your home team is playing!

Appetizers and Sides
Main Dishes
Desserts and Drinks
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1 comment :

  1. Betsy CohenFebruary 1, 2016 at 10:11 AM

    These are fabulous for the Big Game! I think next time you should make a triple batch....just to be safe!

    ReplyDelete

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