Vivians mentor, Scott Barton stops by the restaurant to peruse the kitchen and share the African roots of okra. Thanks to Warren, Vivian learns that picking okra is a prickly business. She gets a crash course in the highs and lows of food styling during a photo session for her upcoming cookbook.

Vivian’s Cooking Demo

Vivian’s Featured Recipe

Tempura Fried Okra with Ranch Ice Cream

This fried okra recipe is courtesy of Chef Vivian Howard, and is featured in the Prickly Business episode of Season 3 of A Chef's Life.

Ingredients

2 quarts peanut or canola oil
8 ounces whole okra or 4 cups
1 egg yolk
1 cup club soda
1/2 cup Wondra flour
1/4 cup cornmeal
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup ranch
Ranch Ice Cream (makes 2 cups)
1 cup full fat sour cream
2/3 cup mayo
1/4 cup buttermilk
3 tablespoons minced chives
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 teaspoon onion powder
2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Directions

Make the dressing: Whisk everything together and chill for 1 hour before freezing. Freeze in the bowl of your frozen dessert machine just as you would regular ice cream. Let it set up in the freezer for 1 hour before serving.
The dressing will keep its quality for up to 2 days frozen. After that, you’ll need to thaw and serve as regular ranch dressing or thaw and refreeze.
Up to 3 hours before you’d like to serve the okra, process the ranch dressing in the bowl of your frozen dessert machine. Then transfer it to your freezer. I like this ice cream pretty soft, so either serve it directly from the machine or bring it out of your freezer a few minutes before you pair it with the okra. You’ll probably need to freeze at least 2 cups to satisfy the machine, but you can melt the ranch and reuse it as regular dressing, or you can fry more okra or other similar vegetables.
Using a thermometer, bring the oil up to 350 in a 4-6 quart Dutch oven and preheat the oven to 200. Set up a rack on top of a baking sheet nearby. Just before frying, whisk together the yolk and club soda. Then whisk in the flour, cornmeal, 1/2 teaspoon salt and sugar. The batter will look and feel like watery pancake batter and will seem too thin to cling onto the okra. Please try 1 okra before adding any more flour or cornmeal to the batter.
Completely submerge the test okra in the batter, and drop it into the hot oil. If it adheres and doesn’t completely flake off, you’re good. What you’re looking for is a transparent crispy coating. You should actually be able to see the oil bubbling between the okra and the batter. A few holes in the crispy exterior is acceptable. Whole sides washed away are not. If the batter flies off, add another tablespoon of cornmeal.
Fry the okra in 2 batches for about 4 minutes each. 2 minutes in, roll the okra over in the oil carefully to make sure it’s frying evenly. Transfer the first batch of okra to the rack and season it with half the salt. Slide that okra into the warm oven while you fry the second batch in the same fashion. Serve the okra hot and salty with the ranch ice cream.

Yield: Serves 4

More Episodes

Episode 1: Stop, Squash and Roll

Vivian seeks motherly advice from Mrs. Scarlett and her sister Johna over dinner. Premiered September 5. Check local listings. Continue

Episode 2: Pretty in Peach

Mrs. Scarlett teaches Vivian the secrets of Gramma Hills canned peaches and shares fond fried chicken memories from her own childhood. Premiered September 12. Check local listings. Continue

Episode 3: Gettin’ Figgy With It

Vivian is under the gun to pen an entire book chapter on figs in three days. The stress inspires a fig and honey bourbon slushie tasting with Warren and a fig preserves session with Ms Rose. Premiered September 19. Check local listings. Continue

Episode 4: Pickle Perfect

Vivian visits her friend Nancy for a surprisingly comforting combination of homemade pickles, chicken salad, and chocolate cake. Ben and Vivian audition a new chef to offer Ben some relief and much-needed time to focus on his art. Premieres September 26. Check local listings. Continue

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