Okra Deserves Better
Okra has a reputation problem. Say the word out loud and half the room pictures a slimy green mess, and honestly, I get it. I spent years avoiding it for the same reason. Then I fell down a rabbit hole reading America’s Test Kitchen and found an article by Lan Lam that basically rewired how I think about cooking this vegetable, and now I’m the guy defending okra at parties. Nobody asked me to be that guy. I’m doing it anyway.
The Technique That Fixes Everything
Lan Lam’s whole argument is that okra’s slime problem is really a technique problem, not an ingredient problem. In her piece, Roasted Okra Is My Favorite Salty Snack, she lays out a roasting method that steams the okra first (covered, so it cooks through gently) and then finishes it uncovered at high heat so the cut sides sear and caramelize instead of turning gummy. It’s a two step process, and it sounds like more effort than it is. Really it’s just foil on, foil off. I stole this technique wholesale, credit where credit is due, and it’s the reason this recipe works.
What Even Is Harissa
Once I had okra I actually wanted to eat, I needed something to dip it in, and that’s where harissa comes in. If you haven’t cooked with it before, harissa is a North African chili paste, most associated with Tunisia, built from roasted red peppers, hot chilies, garlic, olive oil, and warm spices like cumin, coriander, and caraway. It’s smoky, a little tangy, and it brings heat without being a one note fireball. Stirred into Greek yogurt, it turns into this dippable sauce that’s cool and spicy at the same time, which is exactly the kind of contradiction I look for in a snack.
Preserved lemon and fresh mint round the sauce out, one for brightness, one for a little herbal lift, and together with the okra this turns into the kind of appetizer that disappears off the tray before you get a second piece. Learn from my mistakes. Make extra.
4-6
servings15
minutes25
minutes30
minutesCrispy roasted okra with a covered-then-uncovered technique borrowed from Lan Lam at America's Test Kitchen, served with a smoky, tangy harissa yogurt sauce brightened with preserved lemon and fresh mint. A snack that actually makes okra the star.
Ingredients
- Roasted Okra
1 lb okra, washed and cut in half lengthwise
2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
- Spiced Yogurt Sauce
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons harissa (paste or sauce)
1 tablespoon preserved lemon rind, minced
1 garlic clove, grated
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
1 tablespoon fresh mint, chopped
2 to 3 tablespoons water, for consistency
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In a large bowl, toss the okra with the oil and salt until evenly coated.
- Arrange the okra cut side down in a single layer on a sheet tray, giving each piece a little room so it roasts instead of steams.
- Cover the tray tightly with foil and bake for 12 to 15 minutes.
- Remove the foil and continue baking for 10 to 12 more minutes, until the cut side of the okra is deep golden brown. This covered then uncovered method comes straight from Lan Lam at America's Test Kitchen, and it's the whole trick to okra that isn't slimy.
- While the okra roasts, make the sauce. In a medium bowl, combine the Greek yogurt, harissa, preserved lemon rind, garlic, salt, cayenne (if using), and mint.
- Stir in water, one tablespoon at a time, until the sauce reaches a thick, dippable consistency.
- Serve the okra warm with the spiced yogurt sauce for dipping.