I'm on an okra kick - Virginia Willis' Okra Cornmeal Cakes - bet you can't eat just one!

music-city-missy

Well-known member
I had seen these in her book - 'Basic to Brilliant Y'all' and then she did a guest post on David Leite's site with them so I had to make them. Forget fried okra. Oh my heavens these are one of the best things I have made in ages. No special ingredients, no complicated instructions, no weird combinations - something so simple yet how we never tried it before I don't know. Even dear hubby is in love with them. Last night he asked for them and a piece of CathyZ's Mexican Cornbread (I keep squares of it frozen in the freezer). The leftovers warm up great but they are quick and easy to fix - just a lot for two people.

As I took the first one out of the pan and tested it, I had a hard time not just eating all of them. And when I warmed up one, I wound up warming up a second and yet a third. I can't explain it but that are that good.

Okra Cornmeal Cakes Recipe

Makes twelve 3-inch cakes

Basic to Brilliant, Y'All cookbook

Ingredients

2 cups finely ground yellow cornmeal

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 1/2 cups cold water, plus more if needed

8 ounces fresh okra, stems trimmed and sliced 1/4 inch thick

1 jalapeño, cored, seeded, and finely chopped

1 clove garlic, mashed into a paste

1/4 cup mild vegetable oil, for frying

Directions

1. Line a plate with paper towels.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, baking powder, and fine salt. In a second bowl or large liquid measuring cup, combine the egg and water. Add the liquid to the dry ingredients and whisk until smooth. Add the okra, jalapeño, and garlic and stir to combine. (The batter should be thick and wet, not dry. Add a little more water at a time if needed. The amount will depend on the exact grind of the cornmeal.)

3. Heat some or all of the oil in a cast-iron skillet over medium heat, depending on how “fried” you like your cakes. Scoop 1/4 cup batter onto the heated surface and, if needed, flatten the griddle cake so it has an even surface. Repeat with additional batter, being careful not to crowd the skillet. Cook the griddle cakes until the bottoms are brown and bubbles form on the tops and edges, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn and cook until the other side is golden brown, an additional 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to the paper towel–lined plate. Season the cooked griddle cakes with salt and pepper. Repeat with the remaining batter. Serve immediately.

http://leitesculinaria.com/87017/recipes-okra-cornmeal-cakes.html

 
Agree. Now the challenge is to find fresh okra. You'd "think" living in FL it wouldn't

be that hard. The one/only time I found/bought it was in a Chinese grocery store in Orlando.

 
Mebbe you could go in every week and ask for small sized okra. . .

like, you know, for eating! (lol) smileys/wink.gif

I really LIKE me some spicy pickled okra!

 
I begged for green tomatoes last Sunday - no go

Each farmer told me that no one will buy them. Ah, Michigan smileys/wink.gif Colleen

 
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