We have a love-hate relationship with okra.
We love the vibrant vegetal flavor.
We love its versatility -- it is delicious fried, grilled, roasted, sauteed, stewed.
We love its nutritional value -- 1 cup of raw okra has just 30 calories, is a good source of fiber and provides about 60 percent of the daily recommended allowance of vitamin K (something to keep in mind if your doctor has directed you to limit vitamin K or if you're taking a blood thinner).
But ... we hate the slime.
Known as a mucilage, the gelatinous substance is a combination of proteins and carbohydrates. It is also what makes okra such a great thickener.
There's no way to guarantee slime-free pods, but we have picked up a few tips and tricks (and debunked a few too) along the way.
• The less you cook it, the less okra "jelly" there is. This is true for stews and such, but even raw okra is sticky when sliced.
• Cutting the okra into larger pieces seems to reduce the slime factor. The mucilage is encapsulated in the pod walls. Cutting exposes the mucilage. Fewer cuts equal fewer mucilage-covered surfaces. Letting the cut pieces sit at room temperature for few minutes (or an hour) before cooking seems to help dry up some of the goo.
• Small pods tend to be less slippery than large ones. Choose pods that are no more than 3 or 4 inches long.
• Adding an acid -- tomatoes, lemon juice, vinegar -- can help make this relative of hibiscus less viscous. Well, it makes the goo much more palatable.
• We recently read soaking sliced okra in vinegar for 30 minutes will neutralize the slick stuff. We decided to give the method a test run, even though we suspected introducing moisture would only make the pods more slippery.
We started with frozen okra. Because freezing tends to amplify okra's thickening power, we wanted to see if the vinegar soak would help to tame it. We soaked 2 cups of sliced frozen okra in about 1 cup of white vinegar for 30 minutes, then drained it in a colander. The result was a gelatinous mound of green goop.
Next we tried soaking fresh okra we cut into 1/4- to 1/2-inch slices. We used a ratio of 4 ounces vinegar to 1 cup sliced okra. The fresh okra quickly thickened the vinegar to the consistency of hand sanitizer. After 30 minutes the okra was slick and sticky. We rinsed it under cold, running water, and then attempted to spread it out on a thick layer of paper towels to dry. Even after letting the okra dry it was still quite slimy. And it tasted of vinegar.
In Okra, A Savor the South Cookbook, Virginia Willis offers these additional tips:
• Wash and very thoroughly dry pods before use. Willis emphasizes the drying part. Get the pods as dry as you can before cooking.
• Avoid cutting the okra into pieces when possible.
• If cutting, wipe your knife on a kitchen towel between cuts to prevent spreading the goo.
• Cook okra on high heat, and don't crowd the pan.
• Don't cover the pods while cooking.
• If the okra is a component of a dish, cook it separately, then add it to the finished dish.
For the most part we had good luck with Willis' tips.
But in the end it really doesn't matter what you do. Slimy is okra's nature. Some pods are slimier than other pods. Some cooking methods produce less slime than others. But to be okra is to be slimy.
Yes, we have a love-hate relationship with okra.
And to love means accepting faults.
Smashed Fried Okra
1 pound fresh okra
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
2 cups cornmeal
Salt and ground black pepper
Vegetable oil, for frying
Using a meat mallet, smash the okra pods starting at the tip and working to the stem.
Place the buttermilk in a shallow dish.
Place the cornmeal in a separate shallow dish.
Season the buttermilk and cornmeal with salt and pepper.
Dip okra in buttermilk, letting the excess drip back into dish, then dredge in cornmeal, shaking off excess.
In a Dutch oven, add enough oil to fill to a depth of 2 inches. Heat oil to 350 degrees. Working in batches, fry okra in hot oil for 3 minutes, turning once, until okra is browned and crisp.
Drain on paper towels. Season with additional salt and pepper. Serve hot.
Makes 4 to 6 servings.
Recipe adapted from Southern Living, June 2014
Fried Pickled Okra
Vegetable oil, for frying
1 egg
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 cup cornmeal
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
Salt and ground black pepper
Pinch ground red pepper (cayenne)
1 (16-ounce) jar pickled okra, drained
Ranch dressing, optional, for serving
In a deep skillet or Dutch oven, add enough oil to fill to a depth of 1 inch. Heat oil to 350 degrees.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, beat the egg with the buttermilk; set aside.
In a shallow bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, salt, pepper and cayenne.
Slice the pods in half lengthwise (it is OK to leave small pods whole) and dip into egg mixture, and then into cornmeal mixture. Shake off excess.
Fry in hot oil, 4 minutes, or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Serve with ranch, if desired.
Makes 4 to 6 servings.
Recipe adapted from The Southern Bite Cookbook by Stacey Little
Bacon-Wrapped Okra Poppers
8 slices bacon
16 pods okra
8 ounces Neufchatel cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup shredded sharp cheddar or pepper Jack cheese
1/4 cup finely chopped green onions, green and white parts
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Generous pinch ground red pepper (cayenne)
Generous pinch smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Juice of 1/2 lime
Heat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and top foil with a wire rack.
In a large skillet over medium heat, cook bacon for 1 to 2 minutes on each side or just until bacon begins to curl, but is still quite limp. Drain on paper towels. Cut each slice of bacon in half crosswise; set aside.
Remove the stem from each pod of okra and cut the pods lengthwise down one side, leaving the other side of pod intact; remove as many of the seeds and membranes as you can; set aside.
In a medium bowl, stir together the cheeses, green onions, cumin, red pepper, paprika, salt, pepper and lime juice. Carefully fill the cavity of each okra pod with cheese mixture. Wrap each pod in a piece of bacon and secure with a wooden pick.
Arrange okra in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until okra is tender and bacon is crisp. Serve immediately.
Makes 16 poppers.
Recipe inspired by Southern Living Feel Good Food
We've made this dish using russet potatoes and with "waxy" potatoes. Each produced delicious results.
Fried Potatoes With Burnt Okra
Vegetable oil
1 to 2 cups sliced okra
Salt and ground black pepper
2 cups peeled potatoes, diced
1/2 small onion, finely diced
1 clove garlic
Heat enough oil to generously coat in a deep skillet over medium heat. Add the okra and season with salt and pepper. Cook until okra is beginning to brown on the edges. Push okra to one side of skillet, and add the potatoes and onion. Season again with salt and pepper.
Cook, stirring occasionally, until okra is deep, golden brown and potatoes are tender. Stir in the garlic and cook 1 to 2 minutes more.
Makes 4 servings.
Purloo, also called pilau, is a baked, stewlike dish made with rice, vegetables and usually poultry, though this version calls for smoked sausage.
Okra, Sweet Corn and Andouille Purloo
1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided use
1 onion, finely diced
1/3 cup diced red bell pepper
1 rib celery, diced
1 jalapeno, seeded and diced, optional
Salt and ground black pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup uncooked white rice
1 1/2 cups sliced okra
8 ounces andouille or other spicy smoked sausage, sliced
1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
3 cups vegetable or chicken stock
Hot sauce, to taste
Heat oven to 400 degrees.
In a Dutch oven or other oven-safe pot, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat until the oil shimmers. Add the onion, pepper, celery and jalapeno (if using) and season with a pinch of salt and a grind of pepper. Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are soft but not brown. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more.
Push the vegetables to one side of the pot and add the remaining oil, and then the rice. Stir well to coat the grains with the oil. Stir in the okra, sausage and corn. Stir in the broth. Bring to a boil, cover and transfer pot to oven. Reduce heat to 325 degrees and bake 35 minutes, or until rice is tender.
Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pass the hot sauce at the table.
Makes 6 servings.
Recipe adapted from food52.com
Peanut-Stuffed Okra
Olive oil spray
12 to 18 medium to large pods fresh okra
1 cup dry-roasted peanuts
1/2 small onion, roughly chopped
1 to 2 teaspoons ginger paste OR 1 (1-inch) piece ginger, peeled
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded
1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon coriander
Generous pinch salt
Heat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly coat a baking sheet with olive oil spray.
Slice tops from each pod okra. Cut pods in half lengthwise. Carefully remove seeds and fibers; set pods aside.
In a food processor or blender, pulse peanuts, onion, ginger, jalapeno, cumin, coriander and salt until finely chopped.
Using your fingers or a small spoon, stuff each okra pod half with peanut mixture. Spritz with olive oil. Bake 12 to 14 minutes or until filling is golden brown and okra is tender. Serve hot.
Makes about 4 servings.
Recipe adapted from Vegetarian Times
Food on 08/13/2014