Fried Okra (Winnie’s Copycat)

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Downtown Wilmington’s Winnie’s has this basket down to a science. This is my attempt to bring it home.

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 15-20 minutes
Serves: 4 as a side or appetizer

Ingredients:

For the okra:

• 1 bag (12-16 oz) frozen cut okra
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup cornmeal
• 1/2 cup flour
• Vegetable or canola oil, for frying
• Slap Ya Mama seasoning, for sprinkling after frying
• Salt and pepper to taste

For the garlic aioli:

• 1/2 cup mayo
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Whisk together the mayo, minced garlic, lemon juice, salt, and pepper for the aioli. Set aside in the fridge while you fry the okra.
2. Dip the frozen okra in buttermilk.
3. Mix the cornmeal and flour together, then coat the buttermilk-dipped okra in the mixture.
4. Heat oil to 350°F.
5. Fry the okra in batches until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes per batch.
6. Remove and drain on paper towels.
7. Sprinkle with Slap Ya Mama seasoning while hot, right out of the fryer.
8. Serve with the garlic aioli, or zesty ranch if that’s more your speed.

Notes:
This is my take on Winnie’s version, not their actual recipe, just my best attempt at chasing that basket down at home. Frozen okra works great here and skips the mess of trimming fresh, no reason to make more work for yourself.

Short on time? Skip the homemade aioli and use a good store-bought garlic aioli or ranch instead. Nobody’s grading the dip, they’re grading the okra.