Originally Posted by brendadawg
Okay, you're going to laugh maybe; but here's my family's method for cooking okra. We never want it boiled, etc. Always fried -- but in the oven. No mess all over the top of the stove.
Slice the okra in thin slices. Coat well with cornmeal, salt and pepper. I put the cornmeal over the okra in a bowl and stir it to coat it. Put the okra in an iron skillet, place a couple tablespoons of Crisco on top (it will melt in the oven). Place in a 450 oven. Remove it occasionally and stir. I use a small spatula and just "turn it" gently. I don't really know how long to tell you to cook it -- until it gets as brown as you want it. When it's almost brown enough, I put a couple pats of butter on it and continue to cook just a little more.
If you have lots of fresh okra from your garden, you can do this, cook it until it's just short of being as brown as you want it. Cool it, put it in freezer bags and freeze. When you want to have it during those winter months, just thaw the bag of okra, put it back in the iron skillet in the oven and finish cooking. Just like fresh.
We also use the leftover fried okra in soup. No slime.
Sorry for the long post. This is the way my mother and grandmothers cooked okra. I was an adult before I realized some folks actually fried okra on top of the stove (LOL). I led such a sheltered Southern life!
Wow, now I'm hungry!
This is a new one for me! I'm really anxious to try this. I've eaten and loved okra all my life...fried, boiled, pickled, okra and tomatoes(stewed?), and in gumbo...I love it raw, fresh picked from the garden. My grandmother's favorite way to use a few pods is also one I rather like too...when the peas (crowder, purplehull, blackeye, field) were cooked just done and still in the pot, she'd lay pods one top and put the lid back on and let them steam....no slime when you don't over cook...and oh my that brilliant shade of green is beautiful. To prevent okra slime in gumbo, I "fry" the okra first...use a non-stick skillet and the slightest bit of oil or spray...medium/high heat and keep stirring the cut okra...it will ooze the slime and the slime "strings" will disappear as you continue to stir... when the ooze and strings are all gone, you can add the okra to your done gumbo and it won't be overcooked or slimy but it will add some flavor and tooth to the gumbo! Okra is probably not a big favorite outside the South because it likes to grow in the heat...like cotton...and I think it is related to hibiscus... we don't even plant the seed until the ground is really warm because it won't really grow and bear well until the nights aren't cooling off...but I've seen it need to be picked twice a day and six feet tall and still bearing when the first killing frost hits it. It's very low in calories too!