Last night when I got home from my town job I made a typical Southern Meal, pan fried ham steak with a Crown Royal Maple Whiskey drizzle (ok so the Crown Royal may not be so typical Southern but it was good), black eyed peas and fried okra. The okra defiantly was the star of the meal. I picked it in my garden before I went to work so it was fresh, fresh, fresh! The recipe is from Southern Living magazine July 2010. I have tried other fried okra recipes but they just didn’t measure up. Most of the time the breading fell off during the frying process. This breading didn’t. This will be my go to recipe for okra.

1 pound fresh Okra, cut into ½ inch slices (cap discarded. I gave them to my chickens)
¾ cup Buttermilk
1 cup self raising White Cornmeal mix
1 teaspoon Sugar
2 teaspoons Sea Salt or Kosher
1 teaspoon Cajun Seasoning (Or use my recipe http://wp.me/p1qGwH-31)
Vegetable oil for frying

In a large bowl place okra in the buttermilk. Let soak. In another large bowl mix cornmeal, sugar, salt, Cajun seasoning and mix well.
In batches remove the okra from the buttermilk and dredge into the cornmeal mix. Let sit in a colander to shake off excess cornmeal.
Put vegetable oil in large tall sided skillet or Dutch oven. Cast iron works best for even heat distribution. Cover the bottom of the skillet with at least one inch. Heat oil to 375 degrees. Fry okra in batches 4 minutes or until golden brown turning once. Drain on paper towels. Serve immediately.