My husband has never been a fan of okra, and has made many jokes about its sliminess, a property which makes it a valuable ingredient to help thicken soups & stews like jambalaya. However, he does enjoy the roasted okra I’ve been making, so now I have to share what used to be all mine. It isn’t the least bit objectionable, if you know what I mean. We have it as a pupu {appetizer} whenever it’s available from the farmers’ market, which is now. It’s a simple recipe that can be ready to eat in about 30″.
When selecting okra, be sure to get small pods. If the pods are too large, they can be woody & stringy…not at all pleasant to eat.
This is a “no-recipe recipe,” meaning you can eyeball all of the ingredients.
Roasted Okra & Garlic
Okra, washed & dried
Garlic, large cloves cut into thirds, smaller cloves cut in half
Extra virgin olive oil
Freshly ground salt & pepper
Fresh lemon juice, if desired {good addition!}
Preheat oven to 400 degrees {375 is fine too if you already have the oven going for something else}. Make sure you have an oven rack on the lowest level before it gets hot. Line a sheet pan with parchment or foil. Wash & dry okra. Put okra & garlic on the sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil & grind a good amount of salt & pepper. Toss to coat. You want the okra to be coated with the oil, but not too much…greasy vegetables are never good. Make sure okra is in a single layer & put on the bottom rack. After 10″ or so, give the okra a toss & continue roasting until the pods & garlic are tender & brown. Taste a bit of garlic to make sure it doesn’t taste raw. Squeeze a bit of fresh lemon juice over all if you like, & enjoy!
How do you like to eat okra? Leave a comment & let us know!
Bon appetit!
August 20, 2017 at 5:44 pm
Looks tasty! Sometimes I don’t like okra because of its sliminess, but I’ll have to give this a try!
September 2, 2017 at 7:34 pm
No slime here! Let me know how you like it.