Blistered Okra, Pickled Okra Seeds, Fried Okra Leaves, Finger Lime, and Schmaltz Aïoli

To a saucepot, add chicken skins and cover with water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour, stirring often. When fat is almost clear and chicken skins start to turn light brown, add onion, garlic, bay leaf, and thyme. Cook 1 hour, stirring often, until onion and skins are golden and fat is clear. Remove from heat and strain fat through chinois.

In a food processor, combine egg, yolk, garlic, water, and salt; blend. While the processor is running, add 2 cups Schmaltz in a slow stream to form an emulsion. (Make sure that Schmaltz is a bit warmer than room temperature but not hot.) When fat is emulsified, add lemon juice and adjust seasoning, if needed.

To a pot, add mustard seeds and cover with plenty lot of cold water. Bring to a boil and allow to cook 2 minutes; strain. In a clean pot, mix vinegars, water, salt, and sugar; bring to a boil. Add okra seeds and mustard seeds. Simmer until brine has reduced and thickened slightly. Test seeds to check for tenderness. If still too hard, add a little more water and continue cooking until texture of firm caviar. Let cool and chill.

In a black steel or cast iron pan, blister okra with a touch of oil, drain on paper towels, and season with sea salt. On a serving plate, spread a layer of Aïoli and arrange okra on top. Squeeze out pulp from finger limes into small mounds across the dish. Dollop Pickled Okra Seeds into mounds as well. Garnish with fried okra leaves and sea salt.