debutantedeb (@debutantedeb)

Okra Fritters with Sriracha Mayonnaise Julia Reed adapted this recipe from a treasured cookbook, The Gift of Southern Cooking by Edna Lewis and Scott Peacock. This dish of crispy, bite-size okra fritters works well as hors d’oeuvres or a summer side. We love 'em! OKRA FRITTERS ½ cup white cornmeal ½ cup all-purpose flour 1½ teaspoons salt, plus more for sprinkling 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 large egg ½ cup buttermilk ½ cup finely chopped sweet onion 2 cups thinly sliced okra ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper Vegetable oil for deep-frying Place the cornmeal, flour, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and the baking powder in a large mixing bowl and stir well. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg and buttermilk together, then add the mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Wipe out the large mixing bowl and mix the onion and okra in it. Sprinkle with the remaining ½ teaspoon salt and the pepper, and toss to combine. Fold the vegetables into the batter. Pour the vegetable oil into a heavy-bottomed skillet until it’s 1 inch deep, and heat until it’s hot but not smoking. (If you have a thermometer, it should register about 340ºF.) Drop the batter by rounded tablespoons into the oil, being careful not to overcrowd. Fry until golden on one side, about 4 minutes, and then turn and repeat on the other side. Remove the fritters from the skillet, drain on paper towels, and sprinkle with salt. You may keep them warm in a 200ºF oven until all are done. If serving as an hors d’oeuvre, accompany with the Sriracha mayonnaise for dipping. SRIRACHA MAYONNAISE Julia has a recipe for this, but I simplify it by using a cup of either Hellman's or Duke's mayonnaise and adding 1½ teaspoons Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce, mixing well. Voila! Julia's SRIRACHA MAYONNAISE 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard ¼ teaspoon salt ¾ cup vegetable or canola oil 1½ teaspoons Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce 1 garlic clove, pressed Whisk together the egg yolk, lemon juice, mustard, and salt in a medium bowl until smooth. While still whisking, slowly dribble in the vegetable oil until the mayonnaise gets thick and the oil is easily incorporated. At this point, you can add the rest of the oil in a thin stream, instead of drop by drop. If it gets too thick, add a teaspoon of water. Whisk in the Sriracha and garlic and refrigerate, covered with plastic wrap, until ready to serve.