Fried Okra with Green Goddess

Recipe courtesy of Chef Clayton Anderson and Chef Aaron Matyac.
as seen on episode “Okra | Willow Spring, NC“, Season 8

Cut okra to desired sizes. For popcorn size, cut in rings 1/4 to 1/2 inch wide. Or slice okra long ways.

Marinate okra in buttermilk to fully coat. For every quart of buttermilk, add:

• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 2 eggs

Whisk everything in by hand

For the dredge:

Follow a ratio of 3:1 cornmeal to all-purpose flour. The full recipe is listed:

• 3 cups cornmeal
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon smoky paprika
• 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Marinate okra for 30mins to one hour. Do not marinate longer or it will cause the okra to become slimy and unpleasant to work with. Using a fork or small tongs, dredge marinated okra in the dredge using a large mixing bowl and constantly moving the dry. Try and not manipulate the okra before it is dredged. Using a spider or wide hole strainer, remove the okra from the mixing bowl of dredge and place on a sheet pan with the same ratio of cornmeal to flour. Fill a frying pan 1/2 way with preferred frying oil (canola, peanut) and heat to 350 degrees. Fry in small batches approximately 2 minutes or until golden brown. Season with salt. Tip: You can Freeze for convenience and then fry when ready to eat.

Green Goddess

• 1 ¼ oz. Basil
• 1 ¼ oz. Parsley
• 1 ¼ oz. cut chive
• 1/3 oz. dill
• 1/3 oz. mint
• 1 Tbsp. lemon zest
• 1 Tbsp. garlic powder
• 1 Tbsp. paprika
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 1 qt. mayo
• 1 pt. Greek yogurt
• 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
• 4 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. black pepper

Directions:

1. Cut all herbs fine, by hand.
2. For nice flecks of herbs, combine half in the blender. For a more pure green color, place all herbs in the blender for the mix.
3. Mix Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, vinegar, salt; reserve for later.
4. Reserve half of the herbs for later.
5. Blend all other ingredients in a blender, leaving the herbs for the end. The desired product is a bright green color that is only muddled by overworking the herbs.
6. Add the acid and salt mixture by hand.
7. Add reserved cut herbs.

Tags: Fried Okra, Green Goddess

Category: Recipes