My mom grew up on a farm in the hills of Eastern Tennessee. Her family grew okra every summer, and they served it fried every day along with an abundance of fresh vegetables. Okra is mom’s favorite vegetable, and, as you might guess, she likes it fried.
Country Fried Okra
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 6
This okra recipe gets its name from the traditional "country fried" method of cooking by dredging the okra in flour, eggs, and cornmeal before frying.
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Ingredients
- 2 pounds okra cut into 1-2 inch pieces
- 1½ cup flour
- 2 eggs beaten plus 2 tablespoons water
- 2 cups corn meal
- 1-2 cups of vegetable oil
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Wash the okra. Cut the ends off and then cut each pod into one-two inch pieces.
- Prepare the flour, eggs, and corn meal. Season each with salt and pepper to taste.
- Coat the okra with the flour. Next, add the okra to the eggs. Remove a little at a time and coat with the corn meal.
- Lay the okra on a baking sheet and set in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or more. For frying, start with about one half cup of oil. Add more oil as needed. Fry on medium heat for about 5-8 minutes. Check seasoning before taking out of pan. Drain fried okra on paper towels for one or two minutes before serving.
Notes
Refrigerating the breaded okra before frying keeps the breading from falling apart during cooking.
I raised my kids in Seymour just west of the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains before moving to West Knoxville when they were in their teens. I gotta tell you, the factory folks at the Knoxville Glove Company would have called this frahd okry. 🙂 It’s delicious! The ladies loved bringing me southern favorites.