I grew up in the south. This means that fried okra was on the menu frequently. In fact, I am not sure I knew that you could eat it any other way until I was an adult. Lucky for me, my mom was a health-conscious southern cook and did not use heavy batter or deep fat. It was, however, still fried. When I started to cook on my own, okra was just not on the menu. That is until a few years ago when I discovered THE best way to prepare okra – GRILLED.
Okra is a great choice and is loaded with vitamins and fiber. It is only 30 calories or so per cup.
This is a non-recipe recipe as the proportions are not critical. For about a pound of okra, you will need about 2 tablespoons of olive oil and a good pinch of salt. I prefer to use Maldon or other flaky salt but kosher salt will do just fine too.
Wash and dry a pound of okra. You can slightly trim the ends but do not cut off the whole top. You can also leave as is. Dry completely using a kitchen towel or place in the refrigerator uncovered for a few hours. In a large bowl, toss the okra with olive oil. Toss well so that each pod gets a little oil. You can also spray with oil if you like. You really don’t need much oil. Grill using an outdoor grill or indoor grill pan. Turn the okra frequently. They are done when they are well charred and soft. Remove from the heat and sprinkle with salt. You can serve hot or room temperature.
I love to serve these as an appetizer as finger food. You can just pick them up using the stem end and enjoy. I have even served these to non-okra eaters who now profess their love of grilled okra.
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