
Photo: Helene Dujardin
Leave it to Southern Living magazine to pen a cookbook featuring the very best of Southern fried food. While we’re crazy about their buttery, booze-spiked confections and ways with bourbon, there’s something about the Southern way of strategic deep-frying that really hits home. These okra tacos are fried food as it was meant to be.
A tip from the authors:
“A sprinkling of sugar in the cornmeal coating caramelizes as the okra cooks, creating a crisp, golden crust.”
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh okra, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
- 1 1/2 cups self-rising white cornmeal mix
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
- vegetable oil
Fresh tomato salsa
- 3 cups tomatoes, seeded and diced
- 1 large avocado, diced
- 1/2 cup green onions, chopped
- 1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 1/2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
- table salt, to taste
- hot sauce, to garnish
Directions
For the tacos:
- Stir together okra and buttermilk in a large bowl.
- Stir together cornmeal mix and next 3 ingredients in a separate large bowl. Remove okra from buttermilk, in batches, using a slotted spoon, discarding buttermilk.
- Dredge in cornmeal mixture, and place in a wire-mesh strainer. Shake off excess.
- Pour oil to depth of 1 inch into a large, deep cast-iron skillet or Dutch oven; heat to 375°. Fry okra, in batches, 4 minutes or until golden, turning once. Drain on paper towels.
- Fill warm tortillas with shredded lettuce, hot buttermilk fried okra, and fresh tomato salsa. Serve with hot sauce.
For the tomato salsa:
- Stir together diced tomatoes and next six ingredients. Season with table salt to taste.
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