Okra, also referred to as lady's fingers or gumbo, is the seedpod of a flowering plant in the mallow family from the old world. Popular in Asian and African cuisines, okra made its way to the Americas on slave ships from Africa during the 17th century and has since been a staple of Southern cuisine. Mucilage, produced by most plants and microorganisms, is the mucus surrounding the seeds within the okra pod, which becomes especially thick with cooking. Different methods of cooking can be used to reduce the thickness of the mucus including leaving pods whole, using acidic ingredients, cooking quickly and roasting, which is a deliciously simple way to prepare okra. Roast okra can be eaten with hummus and baba ghanoush or served along side braised pork or chicken and of course collard greens.
½ lb okra
1 tsp olive oil
salt and pepper
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Toss okra with olive oil until well coated.
2. Spread okra out on a large baking sheet and place in oven. Roast until tender and golden brown, 10-15 minutes.
3. Once tender, remove okra from oven and season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. Serve roast okra warm, room temperature or chilled.
Serves 3-4
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