Grilled Okra dressed in a simple vinaigrette encapsulates many of the qualities we’ve come to adore about cooking in warmer weather. The seasonal produce tends to be more tender, flavorful, and quick to cook. The key to this recipe is not to do too much. Overcooking and overdressing the okra can easily take away more positive qualities it imparts. Because Okra is delicious raw, we encourage you to err on the side of less cooking. It is for this reason that a hot, dry cast iron pan or grill is the preferred method to achieve a charred exterior while maintaining a warm, tender, but crisp interior.
Ingredients:
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1lb okra, washed
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1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
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4-6 cloves of garlic, micro-planed into a pulp or finely minced
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Zest of 3 lemons
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Juice of 1 lemon
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1 envelope of Micro Herbs or Micro Greens.
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1 tsp salt, + more to taste
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10 – 16 soaked wooden skewers.
Directions:
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Preheat a grill pan, outdoor grill, broiler, or other preferred method of cooking the okra before cooking it.
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In a small saucepan, combine the minced garlic and olive oil.
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On medium heat, warm the oil until the garlic begins to bubble and the mixture begins to simmer. Remove the pot from the heat and allow it to rest for 2 minutes before repeating the procedure.
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After the second resting period, add the lemon juice, zest, and 1 tsp of kosher salt. Stir to combine. (if using micro herbs, chop them and add them to the vinaigrette at this point.)
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Skewer the Okra in preparation for cooking. *Note – At the Vegetable Institute, we opted to sort the okra by size so that we could cook similarly sized pieces together. We also used 2 skewers so the okra was more easily turned on the grill.
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Cook the Okra on your grill (or preferred high-heat method) without using any oil. Dry heat and clean flavor is the goal here.
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After a couple of minutes per side, remove the okra to a serving tray, and while it is warm, sauce it generously with the garlic vinaigrette and finish with a sprinkling of salt.