So it’s green tomato “season”. You know, the bushes are slowing down (or maybe you’ve got a frost looming) and so you start to harvest the green tomatoes. As for me, I love a fried green tomato. There’s not much to it … it’s your basic three-dredge fry process. So if you have a little patience and are willing to lose some arm hair to oil spatter, well, it can be done.
Fried green tomatoes are an amazing accompaniment to any Southern meal. They are pretty damn good with steak and eggs at breakfast. But for a truly divine experience, you must layer them with bacon and mayonnaise on a sandwich. Truly divine.
Fried Green Tomatoes
Unbleached all-purpose flour
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Ground chipotle (or cayenne)
Celery Seed
Buttermilk (or milk + lime juice)
Panko bread crumbs
Firm, medium-sized green tomatoes – 1 per person
Prepare three dredge stations:
- Flour seasoned with salt, peppers, and celery seed (use your dampened finger to taste for balance)
- Buttermilk
- Panko bread crumbs
Slice the tomatoes about 1/4″ thick.
Pass each slice through the seasoned flour and gently shake off the excess. Pass each through the buttermilk, ensuring all the flour is covered by the buttermilk. Place in the panko, gently pressing the panko into the buttermilk layer and shake off the excess. Gently set each slice aside on a cookie sheet. Put the cookie sheet in the refrigerator for one hour. Don’t skip this step — this allows the panko-buttermilk-flour to adhere to the tomato and stay adhered in the hot oil bubble bath. I do this for my fried oysters, too — no naked oysters. (many thanks to SteveK for the invaluable refrigeration tip!)
Heat an inch or so of neutral oil in a skillet to about 325F to 350F. Fry off four or five slices at a time, ensuring the pan isn’t crowded and that the slices can move freely. Flip when the first side is golden brown. Cook until the second side is equally lusciously golden and remove to a plate lined with paper towels. Salt lightly.
Eat ’em while they are hot. My two favorite ways:
OMG! Yours look perfect!! I love, love, love fried green tomatoes. LOVE them. They’re probably one of my top five favorite foods.
You may still be able to find a few at a farmstand … I have a couple cups of green cherry tomatoes. They are a BEAR to fry, so I will probably go the muffin route with them.