Thursday, January 19, 2012

Okra Fritters with Creole Mustard Sauce

This dish is requested over and over again by my father-in-law. He is the farmer who grows a lot of the wonderful produce we feature here at The Chubby Vegetarian; anytime he makes a menu request, we do our best to fill it.
I can almost assure you that these will be a hit even among okra skeptics. They don't have any of the sliminess that normally turns people away from okra in the first place. How do I know this? After she proclaimed "I don't eat green things," I watched my five-year-old niece eat these okra fritters and exclaim, "I love okra!" Now that's a victory.
You can serve these any number of ways. They're great as a salad on a bed of arugula that's been dressed with my Creole Mustard Sauce, and topped with fresh dill, parsley, and chopped tomatoes. It's also great as a sort of okra Po' Boy slider on a french roll with lettuce, tomato, and dill. You can also just dip the fritters right into the Creole Mustard Sauce as a simple appetizer.
Okra Fritters (makes 8-10 fritters)

2 cups sliced okra (1/4 inch pieces, stem ends discarded)
1/2 cup finely diced onion (sautéed in 1 tablespoon butter until translucent)

1/8 teaspoon each: garlic powder, nutmeg, paprika, sea salt, cracked black pepper
2-3 dashes hot sauce
1/8 cup finely chopped parsley
1/4 cup flour 
1/8 cup cornmeal
1 egg (beaten)
canola oil for frying
Mix everything (save for the oil) together in a large bowl. Heat 1/2-inch of canola oil in a 
10-inch frying pan over medium-high heat. Once the oil shimmers, you are ready to add the okra mixture. Using an ice cream scoop, place a portion of the okra mixture into the oil. Cook 3-4 at a time for about 2 minutes per side until all of the mixture has been used. Makes one dozen.
Creole Mustard Sauce

2 tablespoons mayo
2 tablespoons mustard
1 teaspoon ketchup
Squeeze of lemon (about a teaspoon)
pinch of sea salt 
cracked black pepper
Mix all ingredients together. Done!

10 comments:

  1. I LOVE fried okra and this is a great spin on that. Put me down for this one!

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  2. Great! Thanks for pitching in. It's January, so feel free to use the frozen stuff. I know they carry it at Fresh Market.

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  3. I was hoping to find some fresh but good to know the frozen will work as well. Can't wait to try them!

    Good seeing you the other day, even if it was just a drive by!

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  4. Ok, I'm going to be making these tonight and will keep you posted. My questions/comments so far are: the onion should just be diced or go smaller? For the okra, should I use or discard the stems? And the egg I'm guessing, should be beaten? Just want tot make sure before I get started. Thank you!

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  5. Great!

    I usually toss out the stem end and the tip. The frozen kind is already cut for you. I'd say a fine dice on the onion. and yes. The egg should be beaten so it mixes with everything. It's the binder.

    oh and get zataran's mustard. It's the best!

    -j

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  6. Perfect, that's exactly what i was thinking.

    Agreed, Zataran's is delicious! I already have it on hand.

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  7. One word, amazing! There is a slight sweetness from the okra that is just wonderful. That tiny bit of nutmeg really enhances the flavors and the creole mustard couldn't be a better pairing for this dish. It was really simple and really delicious. I even had back up with me to try it out and they loved it as well. Even better, the one and only thing I didn't have was the okra, which I found fresh at Whole Foods. Really great recipe, thank you!

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  8. Well, awesome! This is a great recipe to use with leftover black eyed peas or shredded potatoes. It's all purpose. Thank you so much for helping out!

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  9. Surely you want more than one tester per recipe? Even if you don't, I'm making these and leaving you feedback. I love okra more than sex and knitting and will be making these as soon as I get some okra!

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  10. Give it a shot. I'd love to hear what you have to say. There are some homeless recipes here on the blog. Have a heart and adopt one of those as well. :)

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