Martha Rose Shulman's Roasted Okra

My friend Marian Schwartz gave me the idea to roast okra. It’s an ingenious strategy: No need to marinate the okra in salt and vinegar beforehand — it develops a wonderful seared flavor in the hot oven, and it won’t be gooey.

Ingredients

• 1 pound okra
• Salt to taste
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• Fresh thyme leaves to taste optional
• Freshly ground pepper

• Nutritional Information

  • Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

    97 calories; 6 grams fat; 0 grams saturated fat; 4 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 8 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 1 gram sugars; 2 grams protein; 8 milligrams sodium

  Note: Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available data.
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Serves four

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Rinse the okra, and drain on a kitchen towel. The okra should be dry. Trim away the stem ends and the tips, just the very ends, and then place the okra in a large bowl. Salt to taste, and toss with the olive oil until coated.
2. Lift the okra from the bowl, leaving behind any excess oil. Place on a sheet pan in one layer. Roast in the oven for 15 minutes (large okra might take a little longer), shaking the pan every five minutes. The okra should be lightly browned and tender, with a nice seared aroma. If you don’t want it to brown as much, set the oven at 400 degrees.
3. Remove from the heat, toss with fresh thyme, if desired, and freshly ground pepper. Transfer to a platter. Serve hot.

• Advance preparation: You can trim the okra several hours ahead, but this is a last-minute dish.

15 minutes