Fried Green Tomatoes
478 days ago
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I’ve only had fried green tomatoes a couple of times. The last time was with a group of friends during a visit to a restaurant in Buffalo, New York. Someone in the group had them there before and raved about them. We gave them a try and it was confirmed, they were delicious, so I wanted to try making some at home.
Our local farmers market had beautiful green tomatoes, which was just the excuse to make this recipe. They take some time but are certainly worth it.
Preparing the Tomatoes
Green beefsteak tomatoes are a great choice for making Fried Green Tomatoes. They are actually unripe tomatoes and offer up a slightly tangy flavor that is less sweet than ripened.
Use a good utility knife, like the Cutco Trimmer, to slice them about a quarter-inch thick.
Many of our customers call the Trimmer a tomato knife because it’s so great at cutting through the skin and into the flesh without squishing the fruit.
Place the tomato slices onto a paper towel. You want to get rid as much of the moisture as possible so that the bread coating will stick.
Frying the Tomatoes
To add some flavor, before coating the slices in bread crumbs, sprinkle Creole seasoning on both sides of them to give them a nice, savory flavor.
After that it’s a matter of mixing up the wet and dry ingredients to dredge the slices before frying. The wet mixture is just eggs and black pepper mixed together in a shallow bowl. The dry mixture is bread crumbs, salt, cayenne pepper and black pepper.
Dip the tomato slices into the egg mixture.
Then dip the slice into the dry bread crumb mixture.
After talking with a couple of friends who make fried green tomatoes, they recommended using panko bread crumbs instead of cornmeal which is what most recipes recommend. The panko coats the slices well and fries up nice and crunchy.
Once the green tomato slices are coated, fry them in vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat. They take just two or three minutes per side. You can place a couple of slices in the pan at a time, just be sure not to overcrowd the pan.
This Fried Green Tomatoes recipe includes an easy-to-make dipping sauce with hints of garlic, lemon and chives, which pairs perfectly with the tomatoes.
Ingredients
For the dipping sauce:
- 1 1/4 cups mayonnaise
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1/4 cup finely chopped chives
- 1 tablespoon lemon pepper
- 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon Creole seasoning
For the tomatoes:
- 4 green tomatoes
- Creole seasoning, to taste
- 2 eggs
- A pinch of freshly ground pepper
- 4 cups seasoned or unseasoned panko bread crumbs
- 3 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper
- 1/2 cup or more vegetable oil, for frying
Directions
- Make the dipping sauce by whisking together all ingredients in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate.
- Use a Trimmer to slice off the ends and core the tomatoes. Slice them into quarter-inch rounds and dry between several layers of paper towels to get rid of the excess moisture. Sprinkle both side lightly with Creole seasoning.
- Whisk the eggs and a pinch of black pepper together in a shallow bowl and set aside. In a separate bowl, combine the bread crumbs, salt, cayenne pepper and black pepper. Mix well. Dip the tomato slices in the egg mixture and then into the crumb mixture. Press to coat on both sides and around the edges. Place the coated pieces on a wire rack set over a baking sheet and refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow the crumbs to set.
- In a heavy 12″ skillet over medium heat, heat the vegetable oil. When the oil is hot, slide a few tomatoes into the pan. Do not crowd. Cook 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until brown. Remove and drain on paper towels. If necessary, add more oil to the pan and allow it to get hot before adding more tomatoes.
- To serve, arrange tomatoes on a serving platter and set a small bowl of the dipping sauce in the middle.
Alternate serving suggestion:
Place a slice of thick cut bread on a plate; layer with the dipping sauce, lettuce, 2 slices of crisp fried bacon and 2 fried tomatoes. Drizzle with a little more sauce and sprinkle with chives.
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