Fried Okra and Squash – Fresh From the Garden

It’s summertime and it’s the perfect time to get some fresh veggies straight from the garden. Today we’re going to fry up some okra and squash with a cornmeal flour crust – it’s going to be the perfect blend where you get the flavor of the veggies without an overpowering gummy crust.  

Let’s Start with Okra

Now, I washed all the okra and let it dry. Cut the stem and tip off and then cut them in about 1/8 to 1/4-inch thick slices. Now, let them rest for about 2-3 minutes. I like to let it sweat just a little because okra has a little slime to it when cut and you want that to dry out a bit. But that slime will help some of this batter stay on.

Put It All Together

Add the okra to a mixing bowl and pour in the buttermilk. You don’t want a bunch of buttermilk here, just enough to lightly coat all those okra pieces. Now toss in the flour to coat well followed by the cornmeal. That cornmeal is going to help dry this mixture up so it’s not so sticky.

Now, we want to give it a little pop so I’m sifting in some cornstarch which will help create a good crunchy crust too. I like to just sift it around on top and then toss to coat.

Fry the Okra

I’ve added about 3 inches of peanut oil to a Dutch oven. Heat to 350 degrees F. Be sure to use a good high temp fry oil. It’s not going to take long for these little fellers to fry up, about 2-3 minutes. You also want to be sure that you fry these in small batches, so every piece fries up evenly.

Now, there’s a little trick that will help that grease keep longer – get a strainer and shake off the excess flour and cornmeal coating before adding the okra to the oil.

Go ahead and fry that okra up, and be sure to stir in around a little while frying. Strain the pieces from the oil and place on a paper towel in a warm spot until you finish it all up. Be sure you generously season right after they come out of the oil, I love to use our   Red River Ranch Original Seasoning, because it’s really good with fried veggies, but you can also use your favorite blend or salt and pepper, to taste.

Moving On to the Squash

Cut off the stem and ends off of the squash and let’s get to cutting it. You don’t want to get these too thick. I like to go about 1/8-inch, that way everything fries up nicely.

I like to separate the larger pieces from the smaller ones, since squash isn’t uniformly sized. That way you’ll end up with a more even frying.

The coating for the squash is similar to the okra, but we’re not using cornmeal. I like to toss up flour, our seasoning and a little of that cornstarch.

I want to taste the squash, that’s the reason we’re not having a big thick coating of batter. These are going to fry up softer, which is what I like about yellow squash.

Be sure you toss the squash to coat well in the flour mixture.

Fry Up the Squash

I like to do it the same way, like we did with okra. We’re going to shake off some of that coating, so that grease lasts longer. First, we’re going to fry the little ones and then the big ones after, so everyone is fried up evenly. When it’s done, be sure to strain from the grease well.

I don’t like to over fry squash so much, so it’s not going to have much of that crunch but it will be soft and just right where you can taste the squash.  Be sure to season well right after you pull it from the oil, to your taste.

That’s it folks! Now get out in the garden and enjoy some of this Southern-fried goodness. And if you don’t have a garden, go sneak into the neighbor’s while they ain’t looking. There are also a lot of farmer’s markets out there. So y’all enjoy and be sure to be a good neighbor and share the recipes.

See this recipe in action…

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Southern Fried Okra - Cowboy Kent Rollins

Ingredients

• 4 cups okra sliced
• ⅛ to ¼ cup buttermilk
• ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup yellow corn meal
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• Canola or peanut oil for frying
• Red River Ranch Original Seasoning or salt and pepper

Instructions

• After slicing the okra into about ⅛ - ¼-inch thick slices, let the okra rest for 2 to 3 minutes to allow to dry slightly.
• Place the okra in a mixing bowl and add just enough buttermilk to lightly coat the okra and mix well.
• Toss in the flour to coat followed by the cornmeal. Sprinkle on the cornstarch and toss to coat.
• Heat about 3 inches of the oil in a Dutch oven or deep fryer to 350 degrees F.
• Place a small batch of the okra in a sifter and sift off the excess flour mixture. Add to the oil and fry for about 2 to 3 minutes or until lightly browned and crunchy, stirring occasionally.
• Strain from the oil and place on a paper towel in a warm place. Season immediately, to taste. Serve warm.

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Southern Fried Squash - Cowboy Kent Rollins

Servings 6

Ingredients

• 3 medium yellow squash
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon Red River Ranch Original or ½ tablespoon salt and ½ tablespoon coarse ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• Canola or peanut oil for frying

Instructions

• Wash and slice the squash into about ⅛-thick slices. Separate the larger slices from the smaller ones and fry together according to size, for a more even frying.
• In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, seasoning and cornstarch. Toss in the squash to coat.
• Add about 3-inches of oil in a Dutch oven or deep fryer and heat to 350 degrees F.
• Place a small batch of the squash in a sifter and sift off the excess flour mixture. Add to the oil and fry for about 2 to 3 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring occasionally.
• Strain from the oil and place on a paper towel in a warm place. Season immediately, to taste. Serve warm.