OPINION | FRONT BURNER: Vegetal flavor shines in burnt okra

Potatoes and okra cooked together in an iron skillet until the potatoes are golden and the okra is nearly burnt is my favorite way to eat okra.

I won't go as far as saying it is the only way to eat okra — pickled is pretty darn good and pickled-and-fried is even better — but this preparation is my favorite. Almost all of the okra's infamous mucilage cooks away, letting its nutty, vegetal flavor shine. The potatoes — russets, red-skinned or gold, your pick — add textural contrast with their crusty exteriors and creamy tender insides. If I'm using russet potatoes I peel them, otherwise I give them a good scrub and leave the skin on. I use the smallest okra pods I can find — no longer than my index finger, but pinky length is ideal.