Breading for meat and veggies -- Fried Okra, Fried Shrimp, Fried Zucchini, etc.

Hey,


We've had company over a couple of times the last week or so, and I ended up doing breaded meat and veggies both times.  The first time, I did breaded, fried okra and breaded, fried zucchini.  I often do breaded, fried mushrooms, but I didn't this time.  Then, we had them over again, and I used the same breading for shrimp.  It works well with chicken tenders, too.  I've done this quite a bit, and I wanted to share the method so that others can make wheat free, non dairy, soy free, egg free breading for meat and vegetables.  Oh, and my non-"off everything" friends rave about this recipe.  There are never any leftovers!


Method for making Allergy-friendly breading for meat and vegetables


First, thaw the meat or veggies if they are frozen.  Rinse them well.  Then, if they need to be sliced, do so.  At this point, put the food into a colander if it isn't already.  Salt the food well, tossing it to coat.  This will draw the excess moisture out and allow the breading to adhere better.  Allow the food to rest and drain -- continue to toss it occasionally -- for 5 to 30 minutes.  At this point, the food may be rinsed or not, depending on how much salt is desired on the food.


Prepare a combination of equal parts of cornstarch and cornmeal for dipping the food in a fairly large bowl.  Set this aside.


Place the food into another bowl, seasoning it as desired.  Old Bay seasoning is really good on shrimp, and Adobo seasoning is good on just about everything.


Combine a mixture of 1 to 2 tablespoons of ground flax seeds plus 3 to 6 tablespoons of water.  Pour it over the food in the bowl and mix it well.


At this point, pour at least 2 inches of canola oil, (or other liquid oil like corn) into a fairly large pot.  Heat it on medium-high heat until it is hot.  


CAUTION:  Do NOT use drops of water to test for how hot the oil is.  This is an extremely dangerous practice that is recommended by some authors.  The water will vaporize and come shooting out of the pot, potentially causing a very serious injury.  Instead, if a test is desired, put a small piece of tortilla or any other bit of food into the oil to see if it starts sizzling right away.  If it does, then the oil is hot enough.  I simply watch for the wavy "heat lines" to appear in the oil, then I know it is ready. 


While the oil is heating, put the food, bit by bit, into the cornmeal mixture, tossing it to coat evenly.  Once the oil is hot, place the coated food into the oil and allow it to cook until the coating is just becoming golden.  The cornstarch/cornmeal mixture will not brown like flour does.  It does get very crispy, though, so watch for the crispy texture and slight golden coloration to appear.


Use tongs or a slotted spoon to remove the food from the hot oil, and place it onto paper towels to drain.  Serve hot.