Flash Cooked Okra with Almonds

Looking for a great way to fix okra this summer? This version goes together so easily and tastes so good, it’ll quickly become a staple. Have the ingredients together and ready to go until just before you’re ready to serve dinner. While the meat is resting, you can cook it up.

But okra? Really? “I get a lot of great comments about this okra, as it conquers the problem of sludgy okra that most of us dislike,” Hugh Acheson writes in “A New Turn in the South” (Clarkson Potter, $35). Use small pods, as the bigger they get the woodier they become. This recipe relies on high heat to cook the okra quickly and they need to be enjoyed right after you finish.”

Flash Cooked Okra with Almonds

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter
1 pound okra (stems removed and the pods cut into long pieces on the bias)
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup sliced roasted almonds

Heat a 12-inch frying pan over high heat. Add the olive oil and butter and when the butter is melted add the okra. Sauté for 3 minutes and then season with salt and add the almonds. Toss well and remove to a platter. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings.

From “A New Turn in the South” by Hugh Acheson

Lemons

“The vanilla in this recipe cuts the acidity of the lemon, and the real vanilla specks make it an especially pretty drink,” writes Hugh Acheson in “A New Turn in the South” (Clarkson Potter, $35).

The addition of mint and rosemary to the cooking process also makes this a special lemonade.

Lemonade Made with Vanilla, Mint and Rosemary

8 cups (2 quarts) water
8 large lemons
1 cup sugar
10 sprigs of fresh mint, divided use
1/2 vanilla bean, scraped seeds and pod
1 sprig of fresh rosemary

Derby day calls for mint juleps.

Pour the water in a large pot over high heat and bring to a boil. While the water is coming to a boil, halve the lemons and juice them thoroughly. Place the juice and the juiced lemon halves in a large heat-proof nonreactive pot. Add the sugar, 2 sprigs of mint, the vanilla seeds and pod, and the rosemary.

Pour the boiling water over the mixture. Stir carefully and let sit for 20 minutes. Stir well again and strain out the solids, then discard them and pour the lemonade into Mason jars or a large pitcher and keep refrigerated until people get thirsty.

To serve, pour the lemonade over ice in tall glasses, garnish each with a sprig of mint and sit on a porch.

Makes 2 quarts or 8 servings.

From press releases

Your chance to see what really was happening in San Antonio when Bravo TV was in town is coming up Wednesday on Bravo TV.

At that time, according to  Bravo TV  press report, 29 chefs will do their stuff. They’re accompanied by guest judges and stars, including Charlize Theron, Pee-wee Herman, Cat Cora, John Besh, Tim Love and Patti LaBelle, along with returning series host Padma Lakshmi and head judge, chef Tom Colicchio as well as Gail Simmons. Celebrity chef/restaurateur Emeril Lagasse and critically acclaimed chef Hugh Acheson also join the crew in this take on Texas.

This is a record number of chefs (including two from Austin and none from San Antonio) who will see if they have what it takes to become an official chef’testant and qualify to wear the Top Chef coat. Only 16 will go on to compete across the Lone Star State – in Austin, Dallas and San Antonio. The two Austin chefs competing are Andrew Curren, 24 Diner, and Paul Qui, from Uchiko.

Head judge Tom Colicchio says, “Just like Texas, this will be our biggest season ever.”

Adds host Padma Lakshmi, “I’m so excited for everyone at home to get a glimpse of all the great and talented chefs. This season is bigger and better than ever! Yum!”

The “Top Chef: Texas” chef’testants will be skewered down week by week as they compete to out-flavor, out-cook and out-do their competition. The winning chef will receive $125,000 furnished by Healthy Choice, a feature in Food & Wine magazine, a showcase at the Annual Food & Wine Classic in Aspen and will earn the title of “Top Chef.”

For more information visit Bravo TV.  For a complete list of chefs, check here.