One Of Our Favorite Ways to Cook Okra

We've been picking a lot of okra lately.  We have one row of closely planted okra on one of the last rows in the garden.  The thing about okra is that it will continue to produce okra for months!  That also means that you have to have more than a few ways to cook okra in your repertoire or you'll tire of it.  I pick a colander full every day.  Everyday picking is a must or your okra will get too big and "woody" and will be inedible.

The three varieties we have are shown below.  On the left is Clemson Spineless Okra.  In the middle you'll see Burgundy Okra.  On the right we see Beck's Big Okra.

One of the favorite ways that we like to cook it is Oven Fried Okra.  First thing we do is cut up the fresh okra into bite size pieces.  The recipe (we found on the Internet) calls for 4 cups of cut up okra.  To be honest, I think our family has graduated to doubling the recipe as we gobble up four cups mighty fast!

We preheat the oven to 425 degrees and put 3-4 tablespoons of coconut oil on a baking sheet.  We place the baking sheet in the oven and let it warm up.

To make the 'batter,' we combine 4 tablespoons of cornmeal, 6 tablespoons panko breadcrumbs, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese.  We put it all in a bowl, but you might also use a ziploc bag or paperbag. 

In a separate bowl we beat two eggs and toss the cut up okra into the beaten eggs until they are coated.  Then we toss into the cornmeal mix until the okra is coated fully with the batter.

We arrange on the baking pan with the heated coconut oil in one layer and bake for 15-20 minutes, turning once during baking at the halfway point.  Continue baking until they are golden brown.

This is a family-pleasing meal.  Take my word for it.  There will be no leftovers!