Fish Fry

Last Monday was a state holiday in RI.  And guess what we were celebrating? Victory Day.  Now before coming to RI for college and now medical school, I had no idea that such a holiday even existed.  But Rhode Islanders need an extra day of beach time before the cold settles in and those jewel blue skies are gone.  Well honestly they never really leave...but the warm weather makes a swift exit towards the end of September.  So what to do when you desperately need that extra day off for some fun in the sun in Narrangansett or sailing in Block Island? Take a random holiday!  Now this seemingly random holiday that I'm sure not many of you know about is celebrating our victory over Japan...dropping the bomb... Well I didn't say it was right...but I did get a day off.  Lucky me!

In honor of our day off, my bestie decided to have a massive southern fish fry (she's from Mississippi-and yes I just used the crooked-letter song to spell that-no shame)  for friends before we started our new rotations the following day.  Always good to have food in your belly, especially good food you don't have to cook.  Ok, now before you guys get any bad ideas about me, I helped out, I did my fair share.  Chopped veggies, washed sweet potatoes, and the best job of all...the taste tester.  However I wasn't completely satisfied with just chowing down. I wanted to contribute a dish.  So what do you bring to a fish fry? Some fried veggies of course!

Okra is one of my favorite vegetables, and I love it cooked every way you can imagine.  If cooked right it has an amazing flavor and texture that is quite unique.  I've never fried okra, just sautéed and boiled it, but there are some special tricks to cooking okra that I know well.  My boyfriend's grandmother taught me the most important thing...DRY DRY DRY. I cannot emphasize that enough.  Most people hate okra because they think its slimy.  Well it gets slimy if you don't dry it and I mean thoroughly...with a towel...multiple times.  If you do this, I'm telling you, it will make a world of difference.  You may even convert some okra haters.

So I started off by playing online recipe detective, as I often do.  I knew the basics of frying okra but just wanted to see if there were any additional tips I should know about.  I love looking at other peoples blogs and combing over the comments on sites like allrecipes.com and food.com, which are usually very helpful in terms of techniques and tasty variations.

Here is the recipe I came up with.  I will note that I am usually extremely opposed to pre-seasoned mixes, because it takes a away from the control you have over your spices.  Though when time is limited...do what you must.  Enjoy!

Quick and Dirty Fried Okra

1 lb of okra chopped into 3/4in pieces
Bag of Lousiana fish fry (or seasoned cornmeal equivalent)
Flour
2 extra large eggs
1 quart buttermilk
1/2tsp red chili powder (kick it up a notch if you're willing!)
1/4tsp paprika
Oil for frying

Directions
1) Wash the okra and towel dry until all moisture is gone. Don't skimp on this step!
2) Cut okra into 3/4in to 1in pieces, however you like it, and place in a bowl.
3) Pour buttermilk into the bowl making sure all pieces are covered and stir in the chili powder and paprika gently with a spatula.  Cover and set in the fridge for 45min.




4) While the okra is chilling, set up the dredging ingredients.  In a separate bowl or plate, pour flour.  Crack two eggs in a bowl and whisk. In a final bowl place Louisiana fish fry or another seasoned cornmeal.

5) When the okra are ready, start first by dipping in the flour, next egg, and finally cornmeal.  It's a sticky mess but a fun task for the kiddies!
6) Heat up the oil for deep frying, making sure there is enough oil to cover the okra. Or use a deep fryer. Fry until golden brown to a little burnt (it helps with the flavor).

Now smack those lips!