Fried Okra

Another classic Southern summer side: fried okra. This plant in the mallow family originally came from West Africa. I imagine that it ventured into the regional diet through the African influences of slave culture in the Southern colonies. For a vegetarian lunch, they're great with creamed corn, a few slices of ripe tomato, and fresh peas. You'll see plenty of places that will egg batter and deep-fry their okra, but I prefer a simple coating of cornmeal. It's quick, easy, and relatively healthy for items in the 'fried food group.' They can be expensive in major supermarkets like Tesco; look for them in Indian shops or farmers' markets. Mine came from the latter at £1.75/lb. In the US, they're much cheaper and usually easier to find.

Ingredients

• 750g okra
• 1c. cornmeal
• 1/4c. vegetable oil
• salt

1. Rinse the okra and slice into one centimetre pieces and discard the tops. 
2. In a large bowl, toss the okra in the cornmeal. (There's nothing special needed here to make the cornmeal stick. Anyone who's ever had boiled okra will know that the inside of the fruit is mucilaginous and this will make the cornmeal adhere.)
3. Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and then poor in your okra. Let it sit for a few minutes until you start to stir occasionally. You may need to sprinkle in a little extra cornmeal to keep the okra coated--just be on the lookout. 
4. In about 10-15 minutes, the okra should become soft and slightly sweet--the cornmeal should have darkened with a few spots cooked until their brown. Season with salt and serve immediately.

Fried Cornbread

Last week I bought a couple of kilos of cornmeal and have been looking for something to do with it. Yesterday afternoon, I thought about another distinctly Southern dish from my childhood: fried cornbread. They're super simple.

Ingredients

• 1 c. cornmeal
• 1/2 c. self-rising flour (add 1/2 tsp salt if you are in the UK)
• 1 egg
• 1/4 c. vegetable oil
• milk
• 2 jalapeños, seeded and diced or one finely chopped Scotch bonnet (optional)
• diced onions, shallots or scallions (optional)
• 50g grated cheddar cheese

1. Combine cornmeal, flour, egg, and vegetable oil in a bowl. Add enough milk to make a batter. (Just mix in a little bit at a time and pay attention to the consistency.) Stir in your jalapeños and onions.
2. Heat a skillet with a few tablespoons of vegetable oil over medium heat.
3. Using a 1/4 c. measure (or thereabouts), spoon out the batter into the skillet.
4. When the cornbread starts to look dry around the edges, they're ready to flip.

These are great with something that has a broth with them (beans, etc.) We often have them around New Years with black-eyed peas and collard greens.