 Fried okra, showing the interior and exterior | |
| Type | Fried vegetable |
|---|---|
| Course | Side dish |
| Region or state | Southern United States |
| Associated cuisine | Soul food, cuisine of the Southern United States |
| Main ingredients | Okra |
| Ingredients generally used | Cornmeal |
Fried okra is a side dish associated with the cuisine of the Southern United States, particularly soul food. It is made by coating sliced okra in cornmeal and then frying it.
Okra is a staple of the cuisine of the Southern United States, with fried okra being the most popular method of preparation. [1] [2] Okra was first transported to the Americas by slave ships during the Atlantic slave trade. [3] The method of frying okra is believed to have roots in the Congo [4] or West Africa before being transported to the United States. [1] During the mid-19th century, fried vegetables and fritters became increasingly popular in the South which contributed to the popularity of fried okra. [5]
Fried okra is popularly served at barbecues and restaurants in the South, especially as part of a meat and three. [2] It is often consumed during the summer, when okra is in season. [6] [7] It has been called "Southern popcorn". [8] The dish is associated with soul food, [9] [10] Cajun [11] and Gullah Geechee cuisine. [1] It is included in the Oklahoma state meal, a menu based on the agricultural and culinary history of Oklahoma that is an official state symbol. [12]
The basic preparation of fried okra is simple, requiring okra that has been dredged in cornmeal and fried. [2] The okra pods are cut into slices and then tossed or dredged in cornmeal before frying in butter [13] or vegetable oil. [14] [4] Either deep frying and pan frying may be used. [1] More complex recipes involve dipping the okra in eggs or buttermilk prior to dredging in cornmeal or cornmeal and flour. [15] [16] [17] [18] Another method of preparation calls for a cornmeal batter that includes beaten eggs. This batter may be seasoned with ingredients such as black pepper and cayenne pepper. [19]
Okra can become slimy when sliced. [20] Cutting the okra into small pieces before frying allows it to maintain a crispier exterior texture, [8] but results in a slimier interior. [16] Whole okra pods may also be fried. [21]
It is typically served as a side dish, [2] sometimes with a dipping sauce such as remoulade. [22] [23]
Cajun cuisine is a style of cooking developed by the Cajun–Acadians who were deported from Acadia to Louisiana during the 18th century and who incorporated West African, French and Spanish cooking techniques into their original cuisine.
The cuisine of the Southern United States encompasses diverse food traditions of several subregions, including cuisine of Southeastern Native American tribes, Tidewater, Appalachian, Ozarks, Lowcountry, Cajun, Creole, African American cuisine and Floribbean, Spanish, French, British, and German cuisine. In recent history, elements of Southern cuisine have spread to other parts of the United States, influencing other types of American cuisine.
Tempura is a typical Japanese dish that usually consists of seafood and vegetables that have been coated in a thin batter and deep fried. Tempura has its origins dating back to the 16th century, when Portuguese Jesuits brought the Western-style cooking method of coating foods with flour and frying, via Nanban trade.
Louisiana Creole cuisine is a style of cooking originating in Louisiana, United States, which blends West African, French, Spanish, and Native American influences, as well as influences from the general cuisine of the Southern United States.
Cornmeal is a meal ground from dried corn (maize). It is a common staple food and is ground to coarse, medium, and fine consistencies, but it is not as fine as wheat flour can be. In Mexico and Louisiana, very finely ground cornmeal is referred to as corn flour. When fine cornmeal is made from maize that has been soaked in an alkaline solution, e.g., limewater, it is called masa harina, which is used for making arepas, tamales, and tortillas. Boiled cornmeal is called polenta in Italy and is also a traditional dish and bread substitute in Romania.
Cornbread is a quick bread made with cornmeal, associated with the cuisine of the Southern United States, with origins in Native American cuisine. It is an example of batter bread. Dumplings and pancakes made with finely ground cornmeal are staple foods of the Hopi people in Arizona. The Hidatsa people of the Upper Midwest call baked cornbread naktsi, while the Choctaw people of the Southeast call it bvnaha. The Cherokee and Seneca tribes enrich the basic batter, adding chestnuts, sunflower seeds, apples, or berries, and sometimes combine it with beans or potatoes. Modern versions of cornbread are usually leavened by baking powder.
Gumbo is a stew that is popular in the US state of Louisiana and is the official state cuisine. Gumbo consists primarily of a strongly flavored stock, meat or shellfish, a thickener, and the Creole "holy trinity": celery, bell peppers, and onions. Gumbo is often categorized by the type of thickener used, whether okra or filé powder.
Chicken-fried steak, also known as country-fried steak, is an American Southern breaded cutlet dish consisting of a piece of beefsteak coated with seasoned flour and either deep-fried or pan-fried. It is associated with the Southern cuisine of the United States. It is breaded and fried with a technique similar to the more common fried chicken, hence "chicken-fried". When deep-fried, it is usually referred to as "chicken-fried steak". Pan-fried versions are typically referred to as "country-fried steak".
A hush puppy is a small, savory, deep-fried round ball made from cornmeal-based batter. Hushpuppies are frequently served as a side dish with seafood and other deep-fried foods.
Fried green tomatoes are a culinary dish usually found in the United States, made from unripe (green) tomatoes coated with cornmeal and fried.
Fried onions are slices of onions that are either pan fried (sautéed) or deep fried — and consumed as a popular snack food, garnish, or vegetable accompaniment to various recipes.
Grillades /ɡree-yahds/ are medallions of various meats, conventionally beef, but veal and pork are also used in modern recipes. Often served with gravy at breakfast or brunch over grits, they are a traditional Creole food.
The cuisine of New Orleans encompasses common dishes and foods in New Orleans, Louisiana. It is perhaps the most distinctively recognized regional cuisine in the United States. Some of the dishes originated in New Orleans, while others are common and popular in the city and surrounding areas, such as the Mississippi River Delta and southern Louisiana. The cuisine of New Orleans is heavily influenced by Creole cuisine, Cajun cuisine, and soul food. Later on, due to immigration, Italian cuisine and Sicilian cuisine also has some influence on the cuisine of New Orleans. Seafood also plays a prominent part in the cuisine. Dishes invented in New Orleans include po' boy and muffuletta sandwiches, oysters Rockefeller and oysters Bienville, pompano en papillote, and bananas Foster, among others.
Cactus fries or nopalitos fritos is a side dish originating in the Southwestern United States, made of battered and deep-fried prickly pear paddles or nopales.
Okra or Okro soup is primarily associated with the Igbo tribe of Nigeria and is prepared using the edible green seed pods of the okra flowering plant as a primary ingredient. Other vegetables can be added to the soup as well, such as ewedu, kerenkere, or Ugu leaf. Depending on the specific variant being prepared, okra soup can have a clear broth or be deep green in colour, much like the okra plant itself. Okra can have a slippery or "slimy" mouthfeel. The edible green seed pods can also be used in other stews and soups, such as the American dish gumbo.
A carrozza, also referred to as mozzarella in carrozza, is a type of fried cheese sandwich or pastry in Italian cuisine. It is prepared by coating a mozzarella cheese sandwich in egg and flour, and frying it. It is a popular dish in the Campania region of Italy and in areas of New York City. Mozzarella fritta is a variation of the dish that consists of battered cheese, without any bread.
Miss Delta is a Southern restaurant in Portland, Oregon. Anastasia Corya and Anton Pace opened the restaurant in 2007, and later sold the business to Marcus Oliver, who expanded the Cajun and Creole-menu to include barbecue.