Fried Okra :)

[Guest imsohungry]

Me again,

O.k., new question. I LOVE fried okra (battered and fried). I would love to make some salmon patties, tomatoes and rice, and fried okra. (hee hee...am I from the south or what?) I guess you guys know my dilema...have any of you ever made gluten-free fried okra? Help!!! I just think this sounds delicious. Can't wait to hear from you! (while I'm at it, anybody want some grits?) Guess who's hungry? Thanks a bunch for any response. -Julie

[Generic]

Well, I don't personally eat it, but my family does (they are from North and South Carolina. I have a great recipe for batterd veggies. It really is simple, can't remember wich recipe book I got it out of though.

Basicly it is:

about 2 cups of Rice flour or another gluten-free flour of your choice.

about 1-2 tbs of seasoning such as johhny's (where there is a mix make sure it is gluten-free) Season to your taste.

about 1 cup of fresca or 7-up (make sure it is fresh, this is where you get the fluffiness of the batter to make it like beer batter)

dip veggies in it and cook it in hot oil. Enjoy!

[lovegrov]

I've done it using Zatarain's corn batter.

richard

[luvs2eat]

My southern girlfriend makes her family's fried okra with corn meal. I'll ask her how she does it.

I've been making bread crumbs for things like crab cakes out of the thin rice crackers in the asian section of the grocery... do you know the ones I'm talking about? They come in neat flavors like seaweed and wasabi. I just wiz 'em in the food processor for awesome crumbs.

[moving on]

I'm also craving some fried okra. I've never used flour in my fried okra. I dip it in egg & milk mixture and then in white cornmeal. You could also dip it in buttermilk first. I will probably also use one of Zatarain's coating the next time I make it.

I now crumble a slice or two of gluten free bread and mix it in with celery, onion, parsley, eggs and my salmon when making patties. I dip the shaped patties into my sorghum mixture to which I've added just a bit of gum. I don't notice any big change in taste.

I'll leave the grits for you.

[Guest imsohungry]

Hey everyone,

Thanks for the feedback!

To tell the truth, I've always bought my okra pre-battered (from the frozen food section). So this will be a real "first" for me (I haven't made okra since going gluten-free).

I appreciate the ideas.

Moving on,

I won't force any grits on ya!

I make my salmon patties very similar to the way that you described. Last time, I put gluten-free breadcrumbs in with the salmon "batter" and my hubby never even knew! He won't eat anything if he doesn't like ALL of the ingredients...he never asked, and I never told him (hee hee)...and he ate them all up.

Also, where do you buy Zatarain's? I'm not familiar with that. Thanks a million.

-Julie

[moving on]

Julie, I buy mine in the commisary but I would think Publix, Kroger or Harry's would have it. Look in the section with rice or Cajan foods. I now use it to coat fish and it might also work on the salmon patties. I prefer the crispy Southern style when I am able to find it. It is very finely ground so it makes a nice coating. If I use my sorghum blend to coat, I add a dash of Xanthan gum and it does seem to make a difference.

I'm very fortunate, my DH will eat anything I fix. I guess after 37 years he has learned not to be very picky if he wants dinner.

[Guest imsohungry]

I'm very fortunate, my DH will eat anything I fix.  I guess after 37 years he has learned not to be very picky if he wants dinner.

Hee hee....

I like your attitude.

And thanks for the info., I'll check out Kroger and Publix the next time I go.

Take Care,

Julie

[ianm]

Speaking of a Southern thing, is it customary for Southerners to pour buckets of salt all over their food? I was in Alabama for a week on business and it seems like every restaurant went WAY overboard on the salt. There were some Aussies and Brits there working with me and we were quite shocked at the amount of salt put on food. Plus some of the born and bred Southerners there would empty a whole salt shaker onto their food in addition to what was already there. That was my first time in the South and never seen so much salt in my life. It is true what everyone says about Southern hospitality, everyone was super freindly.

[moving on]

I believe it is a southern thing. My husband heavily salts everything before tasting. I lightly salt when cooking and seldom add additional salt at the table. The civil war continues in our household.

[ianm]

A couple of times us non Southerners had to send the food back it was so salty. Whenever we requested no salt on anything we would get a strange look. It was funny because they had no problem when I asked about gluten or made requests pertaining to my food being gluten free. But the no salt thing....

[lotusgem]

Ianm,

I never thought about the salt thing before, but my mother is an Alabamian (my brothers and I were raised in California) and she salts the heck out of her food; she's a great cook, though!

Perhaps they use more salt than in other parts of the country because of their hot, humid climate, as in India? My husband and son and I lived in Alabama for five years. One day in the lunch room of my place of employment in Tuscaloosa, I watched with fascination as a man salted his apple, slice by slice. I will say, though, that I couldn't help but notice that hypertension is rampant there. A possible connection?

Paula

[Guest imsohungry]

Okra cannot have enough salt!

[Guest imsohungry]

Southern Fact #2: Nearly every vegetable can be deep fried and salted!

Southern Fact #3: A "dash" of salt is anywhere from 1/8 a teaspoon to a full tablespoon (depends on how big the salt canister is)

Moving on,

I'm not that big on "over-salting"...my hubby on the other hand, adds additional salt to EVERYTHING! and the war continues....

ianm,

Glad to hear that we Southerners were polite to you!

Thanks for all of the interesting feedback everyone! I'll let ya'll know how the okra turns out this weekend. -Julie

[kactuskandee]

I don't post very often but this thread is just to much fun to resist. Not being a southerner but being married to a Georgia "Cracker" for almost 25 years I've had to learn a lot.....(the most recent being from reading the "Sweet Potato Queens" books where the 4 food groups are Sweet, Salty, Fried and Au Gratin...love those gals.)

Love the transitions here from okra to salmon to salt. I just buy frozen unbreaded sliced okra, throw it in some beaten egg and seasoned corn meal and fry.

Okra cannot have enough salt! 

LMBO

How true, or as one famous chef said, "Food without salt is like jeans without pockets!"

Salmon patties..thanks for all the neat hints. Up until now I was using soda crackers in the salmon patties for hubby. (obviously he ate them not me) Next time I'll try the gluten-free bread crumbs and see if he notices....then I can have some too...wooohooo. (Note to self: Fry in an a new, uncontaminated pan.)

Fortunately he isn't into much salt, and I dare say I eat more than he does. Last couple times I got blood work done I was consistently low in sodium and told to eat more salt. (But I WAS eating salt.) Since then I've learned you can malabsorb salt as well as all the other nutrients, so that may be what I've been doing.

Speaking of the south, yes they seem to get the whole gluten-free thing there. Even my 98 year old Mother-in-law understood it when I explained it to her. Guess they figure if you can have corn meal that's all that matters. Like my hubby says, "If you're out of grits, you're out of groceries!"

There was a study done about 10 years ago (I wish I had the source handy) that determined that southerners ate more vegetables per capita than any other part of the US. Why? because they deep fry them or cream them, or throw cheese over them--what isn't there to love about a veggie fixed liked that?

....interesting stats, huh?

Kandee

[cdford]

Being from Georgia (way too close to the Alabama line to admit), we always used corn meal for our okra. I like to add a little corn flour into mine for texture. In the bowl or bag I use to dredge the okra, I put salt, pepper, and a little paprika. Mama would never use paprika of course. She would just salt and pepper the heck out of it, but I like the added flavor and color. I use the cut frozen kind when Mama's garden is not putting out. I let the okra thaw and then rinse it well to be sure it is not slimy but is wet so that it will hold the batter. I then dredge it well and put it into a skillet (blackened cast iron of course) with hot oil and let it fry away. I have to take it out in stages because at our house different folks like it either nearly raw or good 'n' cooked. I drain it on a couple of paper towels on a platter. Some of it actually makes it to the table as long as no one smells it too long while it cooks.

[Japsnoet]

Here is my Lebanese friend

[Guest imsohungry]

Kandee!

"Food without salt is like jeans without pockets!"

HA!

Debbie,

Now that I think about it, I've had cornmeal as part of the batter for my okra before....it was good!

Japsnoet,

Thanks for the recipe! "It is different to the Southern recipe but it is real tasty !"

Yes, it is different...It actually sounds healthy!

Thanks for the feedback! Keep Smiling. -Julie