Fried Okra

Ingredients

• 500 g okra, small to medium pods only; must snap cleanly when bent
• For the seasoned coating
• 120 g fine cornmeal, or a cornmeal-flour mixture
• 1 tsp cayenne
• 1 tsp fine salt
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 litre neutral frying oil, enough to fill a deep skillet or saucepan to depth; heated to 175°C

Method

1. 1
   Combine the cornmeal (or cornmeal-flour mixture) with the cayenne, salt, and garlic powder in a wide bowl and mix thoroughly. The coating is ready when the seasoning is evenly distributed and the mixture smells of warm spice.
2. 2
   Bring the oil to 175°C in a deep skillet or saucepan. The oil is ready when a pinch of cornmeal dropped into it sizzles and rises immediately to the surface.
3. 3
   Slice the okra into 1 cm rounds directly over the seasoned cornmeal — do not allow the cut pieces to sit. Toss immediately and thoroughly so every surface is coated. This step is where the dish lives or dies: cut okra begins releasing mucilage within minutes, and any delay will cause the coating to turn gummy and the fried result to be soft rather than crisp.
4. 4
   Working in batches to avoid crowding, lower the coated rounds into the hot oil. Fry at 175°C until the coating is deeply golden and the crust is firm to the eye. Each disc should be uniformly bronzed with no pale patches.
5. 5
   Lift the fried rounds from the oil and drain briefly. The interior okra should be tender but not mushy — each round yields to light pressure without collapsing. Serve immediately.