New Orleans Again

Just went to NOLA for a long weekend. Little did I know that it would be the biggest water event there since Katrina. Ten inches in about 2 hours. We took off our shoes and waded home Saturday evening.

We were there for the 10^th annual Antiques Forum by the Historic New Orleans Collection. We have gone several times and have been impressed with the work and the programs, etc. done by the Collection. The forum had nothing to do with food but the title, “In Their Hands, Creative Masters of Southern Decorative Arts,” perhaps should have had something to do with the Southern art of cooking. I go to NOLA for the food really.

We started our NOLA eating by going to our new favorite neighborhood restaurant, Palidar 511, where we can walk easily. I had their shishito pepper appetizer. These are showing up at a lot of places these days and they lend themselves to eating raw or in salads; I especially like them grilled, and I wrote about them last year with a sauce. We have them in the garden this year and can have them about once a week.

Day one was the bus tour of some neighboring plantations. The food is not the show here but uncorking the wine before lunch is a tradition. This year our bus got stuck in the soggy soil next to the levee at the first house. We exited; the staff got the wine and we sat in the rockers on the front gallery as the wrecker pulled the bus out about an hour later.

One stop was the 1795 Magnolia Mound Plantation house. It is early for Louisiana and the dining room and parlor are some of the most colorful around. The Friends of Magnolia Mound are responsible for the furniture collection and gave us a welcome bag containing two of their books; one was The Magnolia Mound Plantation Kitchen Book, a well put-together compendium of food ways and customs of early Louisiana with recipes from the period translated for today.

That night our son who works at John Folse’s Revolution was off and we took him to Le Petite Grocery. All was good but the yellowfin tuna was the best with a side of field peas with a vinegary cilantro sauce. I need the recipe for the sauce. Le Petite’s chef Justin Deviller was chosen best chef South by the James Beard Awards in 2016. He has another restaurant in the CBD, Balise, and is opening a third in the French Quarter, maybe later this year. Then we can walk.

Lunch on the first day of the forum was at Antoine’s as it is so close. It is not my favorite of the old line restaurants but I like to go. We had their coolinary menu---a special at many local restaurants in August which, due to the heat, is a down time. The baked oysters were good and they had a very good bread pudding, perhaps as good as Galatoire’s banana bread pudding. Then there is Commander’s bread pudding soufflé which is kind of over the top.

We took a break from good food that night and had a salad and pizza from Mona Lisa which is a half block away from our bedroom.

Better food on Saturday when we lunched at Bayona’s. Susan Spicer now has two other restaurants that we haven’t yet visited (and one of them flooded Saturday evening) but we love her 29 year old flagship on Dauphine. My husband had his usual sazarac but here they have a smoother one made with cognac. An appetizer I will plan to duplicate was great: Crostini with a truffled egg salad, then tomato slices, their house cured bacon (I will use Benton’s, my very favorite) and arugula. For dessert which we don’t normally order (but again we were doing the coolinary special three course meal) my husband had the cheese course, which is something I like and does not do you in with sugar. I had one of their specialties: smoked duck with peanut/cashew butter in puff pastry---only a hint of sweetness.

 

 

We again did the forum‘s Sunday Jazz Brunch. It was at Arnaud’s. This is perhaps my favorite old line restaurant. I am again amazed at some statistics of theirs: they have 17 dining rooms and can serve 1000 people at one time. Our favorite maitre’d, Charles, was on duty. We always remember him from the time he read our daughter’s name which was spelled in Arabic on her necklace. He is Lebanese but also lived in Dubai as I once did.

The meal was in Arnaud’s main dining room which is glamorous. We were met with cocktails: mimosas or Bloody Mary’s. They passed around one of my favorites, souffléed potatoes, which I always have here or at Galatoire’s; have never tried to do them at home. The appetizer was shrimp remoulade. Their remoulade sauce is their most famous creation and the recipe is, of course, a secret. But you can buy it bottled. The entrée was a classic fish amandine with haricot verts. Dessert was crepes suzette. Wine flowed freely as did conversation and the jazz band was on hand to entertain. They played for me two of my favorites: Louis Armstrong’s ‘What a Wonderful World’ (My daughter-in-law came down the aisle on that one 10 years ago.) and ‘Do You Know What it Means to Miss New Orleans’ (I came in on that one.).

Coffee and then home. What a good four days!!

What a good bread pudding we had at Antoine’s. So you need the recipe.

Bread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce

Serves 6-8

Nonstick vegetable spray

4 cups cubed French bread

1 cup canned fruit cocktail

½ cup raisins

1 ½ quart milk

4 eggs

1 ½ cups sugar

2 tbsp. vanilla

2 tbsp. clarified butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Lightly coat the bottom of a large baking dish with nonstick vegetable spray. Line the bottom with half of the breading. Cover with fruit cocktail and raisins. Top with the remaining bread.

Heat the milk to boil.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, and vanilla with a wire whisk. Add hot milk, mix well, then pour this mixture over the bread and fruit combination. Allow the bread to soak up the liquid.

Dot the surface of the bread pudding with clarified butter, then bake until firm, approximately 25 minutes.

Serve hot or cold, cut into squares, with the following sauce.

Bourbon Sauce

2 cups hot milk

2 eggs

½ cup sugar

3 tbsp. corn starch

2 tbsp. soft butter

1 tbsp. vanilla

1 oz. bourbon whiskey

Heat milk.

In a double boiler over a medium-low heat setting, mix eggs, sugar, corn starch, and butter. Gradually stir in the hot milk using a wire whisk, and stir constantly until the sauce thickens. Stir in the vanilla and bourbon and serve by pouring over the bread pudding.

 

Eggplant

Eggplant is in the garden (Well ours is actually in large pots on the patio.) and I always look for new ways to prepare them.

Eggplant is a member of the nightshade family, which also includes potatoes, peppers, and tomatoes. Like all nightshades, it is considered a type of fruit, but is cooked and eaten like a vegetable.

There are many eggplant varieties, which range from dark purple to pale mauve, and from yellow to white. The large purple variety is the more commonly grown and eaten. I like to use the long slender oriental kind.

Eggplant can be bitter when either under-or-overripe. Select eggplant that is firm to the touch. It skin should be glossy with no brown streaks or spots and should have a healthy green top.

Store eggplant in the refrigerator only if your kitchen is hot or if you won’t be using it within 2 days. Otherwise, keep it at cool room temperature away from direct sunlight.

Two recipes which you should try are from the August/September 2017 issue of ‘Fine Cooking’.

 

Spicy pasta alla norma

Serves 4

Kosher salt

3 Tbs. olive oil; more as needed

1 ½ lb. Italian eggplant (about 2 medium), cut into ¾-inch dice

2 large clove garlics, chopped

2 lb. ripe tomatoes, cut into ¾-inch dice (or one 28-oz. can whole peeled tomatoes, with juice

1 tsp. dried oregano

1 to 1 ½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

12 oz. fettuccine

½ cup chopped fresh basil; more for garnish

1/3 cup fresh ricotta or ¼ cup grated Grana Padano or Parmigiano-Reggiano, for serving

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil.

Heat 2 Tbs. of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add one quarter of the eggplant and 1/3 tsp. salt, and cook, stirring often, until the eggplant is browned and softened, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. Repeat with the remaining eggplant, adding more oil if needed.

Heat 1 Tbs. if the oil in the same skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and oregano, and cook, stirring until heated through, about 2 minutes. Add the eggplant and pepper flakes and toss to combine. Keep warm.

Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water. Drain the pasta and transfer to a large bowl. Add the eggplant mixture, toss to combine, and add a little of the cooking water if he pasta seems dry. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve with a dollop of ricotta or some grated cheese. Drizzle with olive oil and garnish with basil leaves.

 

Garlicky stir-fried eggplant

Serves 6 as a side dish

2 lb. Chinese or Japanese eggplant (about 6 medium)

Kosher salt

1 Tbs. cornstarch

2 Tbs. vegetable oil; more as needed

1 Tbs. Asian (toasted) sesame oil

10 large cloves garlic, minced (about 3 Tbs.)

2 tsp. finely grated fresh ginger

1 Tbs. soy sauce; more to taste

Sliced scallion (green part only, for garnish)

Slice the eggplant on the diagonal ¾ to 1 inch thick, larger pieces cut in half lengthwise.

Put the eggplant in a colander in the sink or over a bowl, toss with 1 Tbs. salt, and set aside to drain for about 45 minutes. Rinse the eggplant thoroughly, pat dry, and transfer to a large bowl.

Sprinkle the cornstarch over the eggplant and toss to coat evenly. Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add just enough eggplant to create a single layer so that no slices overlap. Cook, flipping once, until the eggplant is golden and a bit charred, 2 ½ to 3 minutes total. Transfer the eggplant to a paper-towel-lined rimmed baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining eggplant, adding more oil as needed.

Wipe the pan clean, then add the sesame oil over low heat. Add the garlic and ginger, and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 20 seconds. Return the eggplant to the pan. Add the soy sauce, and toss to combine, about 1 minute.

Serve topped with the scallion, and season to taste with soy sauce. You can also serve this over rice.

This recipe is really delicious!

 

Succotash

Succotash is a simple dish of corn and beans. But history has it that it was probably served at the first Thanksgiving instead of the buttery potatoes or the apple pie. In the winter it was dried beans instead of fresh plus a little meat or fish. Succotash was a nourishing Native American staple, a thick stew that could feed a crowd. It is also a lot of fun to say (It’s from the Wampanoag msíckquatash, meaning “boiled corn kernels”).

Today nearly all succotash recipes maintain the marriage of corn and beans, but the original tough field corn and native shell beans (typically cranberry beans in New England) have largely been replaced by sweet corn and lima beans. In its many adaptations, corned beef, salt pork, potatoes, tomatoes, okra, and peppers have all made their way into the succotash pot, along with butter, fresh herbs, and sometimes even a splash of cream.

In my August 2017 issue of ‘The Local Palate’ Frank Stitt and Timothy Hontzas did two very different recipes of succotash. Of course I did my favorite chef, Frank Stitt’s recipe. He used fresh field peas and fresh herbs to use his summer bounty. It is a great way to use all those summer vegetables.

 

Frank Stitt’s Succotash

Highlands Bar and Grill, Birmingham, Alabama

Serves 4

½ small red onion, cut into 1-inch thick slices

1 cup cooked butterbeans, Lady Peas, or Sea Island Red Peas

2 tomatoes, seeded and cut into ¼-inch dice

2 ears corn, shucked, boiled for 4 minutes, and kernels cut off the cob

½ small shallot, finely minced

4 sprigs dill fronds, coarsely chopped

Several chives, finely chopped

1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

Kosher salt and freshly ground white pepper

3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling if desired

Prepare a hot grill o preheat broiler. Grill or broil onion slices, turning once, until lightly charred on both sides, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Let cool, then cut into ¼-inch dice.

In a large bowl, combine the charred onion, butterbeans or field peas, tomatoes, corn, shallot, dill, and chives.

Stir in sherry vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Stir in olive oil, taste, and adjust seasoning as needed.

Tomatoes and Bread Salads

Tomatoes and crusty bread are made for each other. Tomatoes are coming to an end in our summer heat but you can still buy some nice ones at the markets.

There is nothing like the sweet juice of a good tomato soaking into a good piece of bread. A tomato and bread salad is a great main course for lunch, a light supper, or a sensational side. You can make bread salads with different types of breads and one of my favorite is the faffoush salad made with pita bread. There are so many different things you can add to these bread salads, that you never have to make the same one twice.

Just a few things to remember when preparing bread salads. Toast your bread first. Let cool before cutting into bite size pieces. Use a variety of tomatoes, and salt for a few minutes before adding the other ingredients. Oil and vinegar is the classic dressing but some garlic is good because it gives the flavor a pop. You can change the type of vinegars and boost flavors by adding shallots, onions, and anchovies.

Fresh herbs are always good to add to the bread salad. Whatever is in the garden is good, but basil, parsley, mint and cilantro are always winners. Bonus ingredients like olives, roasted red peppers, capers, thinly sliced fennel, cucumber, salad greens, beans, and cheeses like feta and mozzarella are good additions. Just use your imagination.

 

From ‘Fine Cooking’ August/September 2017.

Basic Tomato and Bread Salad

Serves 6-8

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil; more as needed

1 Tbs. plus 2 tsp. red wine vinegar

1 ½ tsp. minced garlic

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/3 cup thinly sliced shallot

8 oz. rustic Italian bread, sliced ¾ to 1-inchthick

1 1/3 lb. ripe beefsteak tomatoes

1 lb. ripe tomatoes of your choice

½ cup torn fresh basil

½ cup coarsely chopped fresh mint

½ cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, thinly sliced

In a small bowl, whisk the oil, vinegar, garlic, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Add the shallot and stir to combine.

Heat a broiler or gas or charcoal grill to medium high. Brush the bread slices with olive oil on both sides and season slightly with salt. Broil or grill the bread, flipping once, until nicely toasted, 3 to 4 minutes total. Transfer the bread to a cutting board, then tear or cut in into ¾-inch to 1-inch pieces.

Cut the tomatoes into pieces from ¾ inch to 1 inch, and transfer to a large bowl. Toss the tomatoes with the dressing and a good pinch of salt, and let sit for 5 minutes.

Toss the tomatoes with the bread, basil, mint, sun-dried tomatoes, ¼ tsp. salt, and ¼ tsp. pepper. Let sit, tossing occasionally, for 15 to 20 minutes before serving. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Fattoush-ish Bread Salad

Serves 6-8

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil; more as needed

1 Tbs. plus 1 tsp. red wine vinegar

1 tsp. minced garlic

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

½ cup thinly sliced red onion

8 oz. pita bread or other flatbread, such as naan

1 ¼ lb. ripe beefsteak tomatoes

1 lb. ripe tomatoes of your choice

1 small cucumber; peeled, seeded, and diced (about 1 cup)

3 oz. feta, crumbled (about 1 cup)

½ cup coarsely chopped fresh mint

½ cup coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1/3 cup pitted black or green olives, quartered lengthwise

2 Tbs. coarsely chopped fresh oregano

In a small bowl, whisk the oil, vinegar, garlic, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Add the onion and stir to combine.

Brush the pita with olive oil on both sides and grill or broil the bread, flipping once, until nicely toasted, 3 to 4 minutes total. Transfer to a cutting board, then cut or tear into 3/4-to-1 inch pieces.

Cut the tomatoes into pieces from ¾ to 1 inch, and transfer to a large bowl. Toss the tomatoes with the dressing and a good pinch of salt, and let sit for 5 minutes.

Toss the bread, cucumber, feta, mint, parsley leaves, and oregano with the tomatoes. Let sit, tossing occasionally, for 15-20 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

 

Brigsten's

Why haven’t we been before? Frank Brigsten apprenticed at Commander’s Palace in 1979 under Paul Prudhomme. Then he worked for Prudhomme at K-Paul’s for 7 years before he and his wife, Marna, opened their own place in 1986. Frank won the James Beard Award for Best Chef Southeast in 1998. And he is still cooking on Dante Street in an old house uptown beyond Carrollton and his Cajun/Creole food still connects. The restaurant itself looks dated; pleasant, not grand or chic. But the food is good. Why is he so off today’s radar? I found an old New Orleans cookbook from 1998 that mentioned him. Our daughter-in-law had been talking about him but we had just never gone. But last week I couldn’t get a reservation at the hot spot, Shaya, which I love; I called Brigsten’s. You have to call. No online or open table for them. I did find where they are not forgotten. The ‘Times Picayune’ named them to the top 10 in 2017 along with such names as August, Commander’s, Herbsaint, Shaya, Peche, La Petite Grocery, and Brennan’s.

We started the evening with cocktails. My husband had his usual New Orleans’ drink, a Sazarac. I looked at the drinks menu and they had an Aperol spritzer. I have been reading about them this summer and decided to try. I like Campari and this is a slightly sweeter version and popular in Italy as an aperitif I am told.

The menu is said to change daily and uses what is available. That is not really old school, but the cooking is I think. My husband had to have the sweetbreads which he invariably does when they are on a menu. I tried a shrimp remoulade—on guacamole with deviled eggs and a cold mirliton corn relish. It was a great summer starter. And I could do that one at home easily. Maybe this fall when the mirliton come in. Our vines are the biggest and best we have ever had---now, if they will only produce.

 

 

My husband and I both chose the seafood platter named “The Shell Beach Diet.” It was a tasting of several dishes but not too much food. There was a grilled drum with crawfish and jalapeño lime sauce; baked oysters Le Ruth with shrimp and crab; crawfish cornbread with jalapeño smoked corn butter; sea scallops with fontina cheese grits and fire-roasted vegetable salsa; stuffed artichoke baked oysters; and a shrimp boil salad with corn and potatoes. Sounds like a lot but it wasn’t.

 

I found this recipe of his on-line that I might try this fall also when the butternut squash come in. It is one of his signature dishes.

Butternut Shrimp Bisque

3 tbsp unsalted butter

2 cups diced yellow onion

1 bay leaf

4 cups butternut squash---peeled, de-seeded, and diced into ½ inch cubes

2 cups peeled fresh shrimp

2 ¼ tsp salt

3/8 tsp ground cayenne

1/8 tsp ground white pepper

½ cup shrimp stock (heads and shells in a saucepan covered with cold water; bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes; strain)

6 cups heavy whipping cream

 

Heat butter in a heavy duty saucepan over med-high heat and cook onions and the bay leaf, stirring constantly until the onions become soft and clear, 3-4 minutes.

Reduce heat to medium and add squash, stir occasionally until the squash softens, 6-8 minutes.

Reduce heat to low, add shrimp, salt, cayenne and pepper, cook stirring occasionally until shrimp turn pink, 2-3 minutes.

Add shrimp stock, cook, stirring occasionally, 6-8 minutes. If it sticks to bottom, just scrape.

Discard bay leaf; puree in food processor.

Return puree to saucepan and add cream, whisk until blended, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, 2-3 minutes.

Fourth of July Cheesy Hamburgers and Gazpacho

The Fourth of July is just around the corner and surely the beginning of summer. Also known as Independence Day, the Fourth of July has been a federal holiday in the United States since 1941, but the tradition of Independence Day celebrations goes back to the 18^th century and the American Revolution. On July 2^nd, 1776 the Continental Congress voted in favor of independence, and two days later delegates from the 13 colonies adopted the Declaration of Independence, a historic document drafted by Thomas Jefferson. From 1776 to the present day, July 4^th has been celebrated as the birth of American independence, with festivities ranging from fireworks, parades and concerts to the more casual family gatherings and barbecues.

I enjoy the 4^th of July. It is an excuse to grill out those hamburgers and see some fireworks. The one 4^th I really remember is when we took our young children to New York in 1986. The fireworks were fabulous and the people watching in the park were all so nice. That was a long time ago!

I am grilling hamburgers and making gazpacho this year. My recipe for juicy grilled hamburgers is one you should try and the gazpacho is delicious. Nothing like a cold soup on a hot day!

Have a happy 4^th.

 

Juicy Grilled Hamburgers

Serves 4

Canola oil for oiling the grates

1 medium red onion, thinly sliced

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons ketchup

2 tablespoons yellow mustard

4 whole wheat English muffins split

1 medium ripe tomato, cored and cut into 4 thick slices

1 pound 90-percent lean ground beef

2 ounces sharp cheddar, grated (about ½ cup)

Pickles for serving, optional

Heat a grill to medium-high direct heat and lightly oil grates using a paper towel soaked in canola oil.

Spread a 16-inch long piece of nonstick aluminum foil on a cutting board. Top with the onions, ¼ teaspoon each of salt and pepper and 1 tablespoon water. Bring two sides of the foil together, fold over twice to create a seal and seal the remaining two ends. Put on the grill and cook for 12 minutes, flipping once. The onions should be tender with only a bit of charring. Carefully open the top of the foil to let all the steam out and continue to cook the onions, tossing, until browned and lightly charred, 3 minutes longer. Remove from the heat.

While the onions cook, mix the ketchup and mustard together in a small bowl. Season with pepper and set aside.

Lightly toast the English muffins on the grill and place one top and bottom of each of 4 plates. Spread some of the ketchup sauce on the bottom half of each muffin and top with a slice of tomato.

Divide the beef into 4 patties about 4 inches in diameter and just under ½-inch thick. Sprinkle with a total of ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Place the burgers on the grill and cook until the edges of the burgers are browning, 3 to 5 minutes, and then flip. Brush the burgers with the remaining ketchup sauce and evenly top with the shredded cheese. Cover the burgers with the grill lid and continue to cook until the cheese has melted and the burgers are a bit pink on the inside, about 3 minutes more.

Put one burger on top of the assembled muffin bottom and top with some of the grilled onions and the top of the muffin. Serve with pickles if desired.

 

Gazpacho

Serves 4

8 slices white bread, crusts removed, bread broken into big chunks

2 pounds tomatoes, seeded

1 English cucumber, peeled

1 large white onion

1 green bell pepper, seeds and pith removed

2 cloves garlic, smashed

Kosher salt

High quality extra-virgin oil

2 to 3 tablespoons sherry vinegar

½ cup to 1 cup tomato juice, if needed

Soak the bread in a medium bowl of water to soften, about 15 to 20 minutes. Squeeze out the excess water and place in a large bowl. Coarsely chop the tomatoes, 2/3 of the cucumber, ½ the onion, and ½ pepper and add to the bread. Add the garlic, season with salt, and drizzle with olive oil. Mix to combine and let sit for about 20 to 30 minutes to allow the flavors to marry and to let the salt pull some moisture out of the tomatoes.

Meanwhile, for the garish, dice the remaining cucumber, onion and green pepper into perfect 1/4 –inch dice and reserve.

Working in batches, puree the tomato/bread mixture in a blender with the vinegar. Blend in tomato juice to loosen the mixture, if needed. Remove soup to a large bowl and stir in about ½ cup of high quality olive oil. Taste for salt and add more, if needed.

Chill. Serve cold garnished with the diced cucumber, pepper, and onion. Drizzle with a little more olive oil, is desired.

 

 

 

Skillet Fried Okra

I love fried okra but have never fried the whole pod. Usually in restaurants it is always cut into 1 inch slices and fried. When I saw an article on frying the whole pod and without a deep fryer I was truly taken in.

Okra is a polarizing vegetable. The little pod, with its sticky, seedy interior, has its loyal fans and outspoken haters. Like fellow Southern staples, black-eyed peas, yams, and rice, okra was introduced to the region in the eighteenth century when slave ships bound for the Americas carried it across the Atlantic, where it thrived in the heat and humidity of Southern summers. And the heat of this Southern summer has arrived.

When frying, roasting, or grilling okra, look for small-to-medium-sized pods, since they are more tender and have smaller seeds. Once a pod exceeds 4 inches, it is best used as a thickening agent in gumbo or stew. While some cooks instinctively remove the caps of okra, they’re perfectly edible---though in this recipe, they are sliced off before whole-frying the pods for a well-cooked interior. A soak in buttermilk ensures the cornmeal-flour breading will stick to the okra. For less mess, use one hand to toss the pods in the buttermilk, and the other to toss them in the dry ingredients. Be careful when tossing them in the hot oil. You may want to use tongs or a mesh skimmer. To avoid spatter, lower one end into the oil, pause briefly, then drop the whole pod in. These are delicious and even better when served with your favorite remoulade.

From ‘The Local Palate’ June-July 2017.

Skillet-Fried Okra

Ingredients:

1 pound fresh okra, preferably small pods (They are in season so even if you don’t have them in the garden you should be able to get nice fresh small ones.)

Buttermilk, enough to cover pods

½ cup flour

1 cup cornmeal

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

¼ teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon salt

4 cups neutral oil

 

1. Prep okra, heat oil

Rinse okra and pat dry, Cut stems from pods. Pour oil into a cast-iron skillet, being careful not to fill more than half way to top, and begin heating to 375 degrees.

2. Buttermilk soak

Combine dry ingredients in a medium mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, soak okra in enough buttermilk to cover.

3. Toss, toss, toss

Working in batches, remove okra from buttermilk and place in dry ingredients. Using your dry hand or tongs, toss okra to coat.

4. Drop okra

Gently lower okra into the 375-degree oil. To avoid splatter, place end of okra in oil and pause briefly before dropping whole pod in.

5. Fry till golden brown

Fry okra for 6 minutes or until golden brown, occasionally turning with a mesh skimmer or spoon. Larger pieces may need additional time.

6. Drain and serve

Remove from oil and drain on a paper-towel lined plate. Salt to taste, and serve hot.

 

They are good as is, but a remoulade will just do the trick.