Hi friends! Hope y'all are hanging in with this pandemic happening! I finally convinced my boss that it was prudent that I work from home, only to hear today we are facing furloughs and lay offs. This is a crazy time. I guess I need to share some posts so maybe I can make money off the blog in case the going gets tough. I plan on cooking up a storm from my freezer and pantry and get y'all cooking. Please stay home if you can, wash your hands and just be kind to each other in these tough times! If you have okra on hand, this one is for you!
Okra is a tough veggie to love. So slimy and almost hairy. I always make smothered okra when I have it in my CSA shares, and even branched out one other time and created the delightful South in a Bowl. I made smothered okra last time Covey Rise Farms gave me okra and I still had some in my freezer. It was time to branch out. I went on a hunt for something different, and I stumbled across this recipe for charred okra with bacon vinaigrette and just had to make it for dinner.
Oh man, this was really good! The vinaigrette will be good on any salad or roasted veggie. In fact, I will make it for roasted Brussels Sprouts next! Okra shouldn't be scary! This recipe, along with the smothered okra and south in a bowl above will make you a true believer. Full recipe to follow the montage.
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| Everything is better with bacon! |
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| The cast. As usual, I could not have garlic left out, so I added it! |
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| One of the world's better scents! |
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| And we are chopped and ready! |
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| Getting that sear on one side. |
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| I chickened out on the onion and just added garlic. Look how luscious! |
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| Nice and charred! |
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| Pin it and save it for when you have okra in your life! |
Charred Okra with Bacon Vinaigrette (Borrowed from Southern Kitchen)
6 slices of bacon
1 tablespoon of dijon mustard
1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon of honey
3 of cloves garlic. minced
1 pound of okra
Vegetable oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
In a cast iron skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon until crispy. Place on a paper towel-lined plate and once cool to the touch, crumble. Reserve the bacon grease. In a small bowl, whisk the mustard, vinegar, garlic and honey together. Whisk in 2 tbsp. reserved bacon grease until fully incorporated. Cut the woody stems off the okra and cut in half lengthwise. Reheat the cast iron skillet and the rest of the reserved grease over high heat. Place the okra in the pan cut side down in a single layer (you may have to do this in batches) and cook until charred, about 5 minutes. Flip and cook for another 3-5 minutes until just beginning to soften. Remove from heat. In a mixing bowl, toss the charred okra with the bacon vinaigrette and season with salt and pepper. Top with crumbled bacon pieces and serve.
Vegetable oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
In a cast iron skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon until crispy. Place on a paper towel-lined plate and once cool to the touch, crumble. Reserve the bacon grease. In a small bowl, whisk the mustard, vinegar, garlic and honey together. Whisk in 2 tbsp. reserved bacon grease until fully incorporated. Cut the woody stems off the okra and cut in half lengthwise. Reheat the cast iron skillet and the rest of the reserved grease over high heat. Place the okra in the pan cut side down in a single layer (you may have to do this in batches) and cook until charred, about 5 minutes. Flip and cook for another 3-5 minutes until just beginning to soften. Remove from heat. In a mixing bowl, toss the charred okra with the bacon vinaigrette and season with salt and pepper. Top with crumbled bacon pieces and serve.
Happy Cooking!
Missy
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