Fried Okra with Louisiana Rémoulade
Farm-fresh okra fried in seasoned cornmeal crust with homemade rémoulade sauce for dipping.
Prep Time1 hour hr
Cook Time30 minutes mins
Total Time1 hour hr 30 minutes mins
Course: Appetizer, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 728kcal
For Rémoulade Sauce:
- 1 cup good quality mayonnaise I like Hellmann's but Duke's would be the southern choice
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 1 tablespoon Louisiana-style hot sauce
- 2 teaspoons creole mustard, whole-grain mustard
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons capers, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 scallion, finely chopped
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
For Okra:
- ¾ cups cornmeal
- ¾ cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 1 - 2 pounds okra I have no idea how much okra I had, this recipe will certainly accomodate 2 lbs, trimmed and cut into ½-inch rounds
- 6 cups vegetable oil for frying
Make rémoulade sauce~ whisk together all rémoulade ingredients in a small bowl until well-combined and smooth. Let sit for 1 hour so flavors meld while you prepare okra. (Cover and refrigerate any leftover sauce.)
In a dutch oven, heat oil to 350º. Place okra rounds in a bowl and cover with buttermilk, tossing to make sure all pieces are coated.
In another bowl, whisk together cornmeal, flour and seasonings. Transfer okra to flour mix in batches (I did 2 - 3 batches) and toss well to coat.
Fry okra in hot oil for about 4 - 5 minutes, stirring frequently to evenly brown. Do not crowd pan, fry in batches ~ again, I fried in 2 - 3 batches.
Remove to paper towels to drain and generously sprinkle with kosher salt while hot. Trust me, okra can take a lot of salt! Serve immediately with rémoulade sauce.
Makes 4 - 6 appetizer servings
Do use a thermometer for your frying oil. Frying at the correct temperature is what ensures your okra doesn't soak up the oil and instead fries to a crispy perfection.
Calories: 728kcal | Carbohydrates: 70g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 46g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 26g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 803mg | Potassium: 1268mg | Fiber: 15g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 2865IU | Vitamin C: 87mg | Calcium: 341mg | Iron: 5mg