One of my biggest food secrets I’m now sharing is my fondness for fried okra, served at the K&W chain in North Carolina. I lived in Winston-Salem for some three years after graduating from college -- and ate a lot of okra while there.
You haven’t lived in the Carolinas until a K&W cafeteria experience. They’re a little like Old Country Buffet -- only MORE popular. K&W is quite a place -- especially on Sundays after southern Baptist church. It was essentially church after the worship, with Winston-Salem’s rich and poor lining up for more than 45 minutes out the door just for a seat. The diversity of people in that line is unlike what you’ll see anywhere else. That was my favorite part (well, besides the okra).
The place is so old school that even just two years ago -- the last time I was there -- they still had a smoking section. Little had I known then that I’d be having my last bowl of fried okra at the K&W on Healy Drive.
Okra seems hard to locate in grocery stores up north. It’s one of those hidden vegetables that gets buried behind more popular vegetables such as broccoli or spinach. It’s on that top tier shelf where you can barely see what’s behind the soggy leaves sprayed by a 60-second interval of mist.
When I have found okra, I never know what to do with it. How do you cook fried okra?!
Well tonight I soaked the sliced okras in a batter of egg and all-purpose gluten-free flour. Then I fried it in olive oil for about 20 minutes until golden brown. This was a far cry from K&W’s fried okra so if anyone knows of a better recipe, please e-mail me!
How to prepare:
You tell me for a change
Julie, I was at a funeral today at a catholic church in St Paul. I thought you might get a kick out of the fact that I noticed a sign that offered a "low gluten" option for the host.
ReplyDeleteHi Julie! Jamie has a recipe for "pakoras" - that is an Indian dish made with garbanzo bean flour and spices. Essentially fried okra! Or you can make it with zucchini or tofu. It is served with mint/cilantro/lime/ginger sauce.
ReplyDeleteYour pic looks yummy!
This is from Jamie's recipe book. Just a list of ingredients really...
Chickpea flour, mango powder, cumin powder, cumin seeds, paprika, chili powder, salt and baking soda.
Thank you Kelly! I'll try this out!
ReplyDelete