Okra, a green (and sometimes reddish)’vegetable with starchy, slimy’seeds on the inside, is one of the most adored and hated of all vegetables in the United States. It has a true cult following. Those that love okra really LOVE okra. When I lived in Colorado, few growers produced it and it was rarely if?ever available at supermarkets. It was a dogfight to get the okra every farmer’s?market Wednesday between?me?and?a handful of other people in the area that knew what the heck okra was?and what to do with it.
Anyway,?I’m in the okra love?category. Others can’t stand the funky texture, which is great. More okra for me.
Traditional ways to cook okra are in cajun gumbo or any kind of seafood or fish stew. Okra, because of its starchiness, makes any broth it is cooked in thicker and almost gelatinous. I can’t get enough of it in such a format. It gives broth an incredible silky mouthfeel like nothing else can. Aside from pickling, it is rolled in cornmeal and deep fried, the most common way you’ll see okra served up in the Southern U.S. where okra is most popular.
But even just sauteed up with a little spring onion and some salt and red pepper flakes like shown in the video?is enough to made a?really’tasty vegetable side dish. It’s also?great with breakfast potatoes and scrambled with eggs and tortillas – the preparation that made me really fall in love with okra (see the “Chilaquiles” recipe in the 180 Kitchen eBook). Anyway, I hope my redneck voice impresses?Johnny Lawrence.?Impressing him is?all I really?care about.
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17 Comments
Mary P.
on June 18, 2011 at 9:53 pm
Mmmmm…… okra love…… I really like your video tutorials too Matt. Thanks!!!
Sauteed definitely helps with the "slime" factor. Your recipe seems nice. In south Lousiana, we also saute it with onions and tomatoes. Toss in a bit of jalenpeno for fun. It's delicious!
I never had fresh okra in CO — but I was always able to find it in the freezer section. 'Course that might not work as well for sauteed fresh veggies, but it was great for makin' Gumbo (in honor of Justin Wilson, I'm using a capital G)! My daughter had some deep fried a couple years ago, and I've been meaning to make it for her with coconut oil.
Enola Prudhomme said to sautee it in butter to reduce the slime (despite her tendencies against using fat), and it always was cool to see how effective that technique was.
Yeah, I use to cook it like that at a Southern restaurant that I was a sous chef at. We'd start it out with okra, onion, and tomatoes and add clams and steam it for a while. Good stuff.
That's cool that you used to be a chef before. And way to praise the okra! I was raised on that stuff, traditional Iraqi-Israeli style with onions and tomatoes. My grandmother would buy extra when it was in season and freeze so that she could fix it year-round. In England, we didn't even have a name for it–it'll always be "bamia" to me (which works in Greek and Turkish as well as Hebrew)…
I am impressed that you want to impress that Johnny Lawrence character. He would be more impressed if you did a wax on wax off crane Leg sweep combo and then did the okra deal. :) xoxoxo the frozen one
I have always expected that you were closer to the truth of health and food than all others but now I know you are righ! Anybody that loves okra is on the path of knowledge! I recommend a side of Benton's Bacon with the Okra (I know beef before pork but sometimes you just got to eat pork) plus some boiled taters dressed with butter. Have okra growing in my garden now! Thanks!
yes, okra!!! Grew up in GA, so it was a summertime staple for sure, my grandaddy grew it in his garden. After moving to CO, I also was soooo excited to see it at the farmer's market, since I'd only been able to get it frozen out here! My hubby won't touch the heavily breaded stuff at restaurants, but he loves my fried okra-just coated in cornmeal and fried, yummmm!
I can't believe you didn't include a mention for okra and tomatoes-for shame Matt! One of the best ways to prepare it-I just saute with onions and garlic in olive oil, then add some tomatoes, maybe a pince of red pepper flakes, and man, just amazing. The only way it gets better is to pair it with some fresh GA cream corn and maybe some fresh peas as well (straight from the garden of course), quite possibly one of the best southern/summertime meals ever (and don't forget the sliced fresh tomatoes!).
Very good, but after hanging around Jimmy Moore I've realized there's always room for improvement. I thought that my six pack abs were pretty awesome till I saw Jimmy's 8 pack. I thought my 180 Degree (wink wink) spike was impressive till Jimmy showed me his 360. I know how you feel about trying to impress someone though. I sent my SECPCVL application (which included my highlight video) in for 3 years before I was drafted and picked up by Jimmy's team.
Matt: Try this okra technique: whole pods, just washed with cap end still on. Toss in equal parts olive oil and balsamic vinegar (just to coat, not to swim). Grill on the open flame until the ridges start to char up. Remove from heat and sprinkle with kosher salt.
Hi Matt, Throw in one or two tablespoons of shredded fresh coconut an stirr well and you will give this dish an South Indian (Kerala) twist. My favourite veggie on the planet along with egg plants. Thanks for sharing. Greetings, Berny
To keep the 'slime'to a minimum, wash first and dry with kitchen paper and then saute. Okra gets slimy when in contact with water. A lot of people hate okra because of the 'slime'. Keep up the good work Matt. Berny
Mmmmm…… okra love…… I really like your video tutorials too Matt. Thanks!!!
Mary P, Houston
Sauteed definitely helps with the "slime" factor. Your recipe seems nice. In south Lousiana, we also saute it with onions and tomatoes. Toss in a bit of jalenpeno for fun. It's delicious!
I never had fresh okra in CO — but I was always able to find it in the freezer section. 'Course that might not work as well for sauteed fresh veggies, but it was great for makin' Gumbo (in honor of Justin Wilson, I'm using a capital G)! My daughter had some deep fried a couple years ago, and I've been meaning to make it for her with coconut oil.
Enola Prudhomme said to sautee it in butter to reduce the slime (despite her tendencies against using fat), and it always was cool to see how effective that technique was.
Relaxed mom-
Yeah, I use to cook it like that at a Southern restaurant that I was a sous chef at. We'd start it out with okra, onion, and tomatoes and add clams and steam it for a while. Good stuff.
That's cool that you used to be a chef before. And way to praise the okra! I was raised on that stuff, traditional Iraqi-Israeli style with onions and tomatoes. My grandmother would buy extra when it was in season and freeze so that she could fix it year-round. In England, we didn't even have a name for it–it'll always be "bamia" to me (which works in Greek and Turkish as well as Hebrew)…
LOVE okra. We grew some in our garden growing up :)
I am impressed that you want to impress that Johnny Lawrence character. He would be more impressed if you did a wax on wax off crane Leg sweep combo and then did the okra deal.
:)
xoxoxo
the frozen one
I love deep fried okra :) It is one of my favorite foods
deep fried okra
potato wedges
put it on a plate with some ketchup.
that's a snack but if you had some chicken patties or tenders then you sir, have a meal. with even more ketchup.
*the sound of health nut heads exploding*
Matt can put the wax on whilst Johnny whacks off lol
I have always expected that you were closer to the truth of health and food than all others but now I know you are righ! Anybody that loves okra is on the path of knowledge! I recommend a side of Benton's Bacon with the Okra (I know beef before pork but sometimes you just got to eat pork) plus some boiled taters dressed with butter. Have okra growing in my garden now! Thanks!
I love okra. I grew it one year. As long as you pick them nice and young and tender, they are great.
I just picked up a bunch from the Farmers' market. Was going to make gumbo but I'll try a little this way first.
yes, okra!!! Grew up in GA, so it was a summertime staple for sure, my grandaddy grew it in his garden. After moving to CO, I also was soooo excited to see it at the farmer's market, since I'd only been able to get it frozen out here! My hubby won't touch the heavily breaded stuff at restaurants, but he loves my fried okra-just coated in cornmeal and fried, yummmm!
I can't believe you didn't include a mention for okra and tomatoes-for shame Matt! One of the best ways to prepare it-I just saute with onions and garlic in olive oil, then add some tomatoes, maybe a pince of red pepper flakes, and man, just amazing. The only way it gets better is to pair it with some fresh GA cream corn and maybe some fresh peas as well (straight from the garden of course), quite possibly one of the best southern/summertime meals ever (and don't forget the sliced fresh tomatoes!).
Very good, but after hanging around Jimmy Moore I've realized there's always room for improvement. I thought that my six pack abs were pretty awesome till I saw Jimmy's 8 pack. I thought my 180 Degree (wink wink) spike was impressive till Jimmy showed me his 360. I know how you feel about trying to impress someone though. I sent my SECPCVL application (which included my highlight video) in for 3 years before I was drafted and picked up by Jimmy's team.
Matt:
Try this okra technique: whole pods, just washed with cap end still on. Toss in equal parts olive oil and balsamic vinegar (just to coat, not to swim). Grill on the open flame until the ridges start to char up. Remove from heat and sprinkle with kosher salt.
Eat with fingers. Mmmmm….
Hi Matt,
Throw in one or two tablespoons of shredded fresh coconut an stirr well and you will give this dish an South Indian (Kerala) twist.
My favourite veggie on the planet along with egg plants.
Thanks for sharing.
Greetings,
Berny
To keep the 'slime'to a minimum, wash first and dry with kitchen paper and then saute. Okra gets slimy when in contact with water.
A lot of people hate okra because of the 'slime'.
Keep up the good work Matt.
Berny