Recipe: Fried Green Tomatoes

Who doesn’t love simple home-style cooking? I’m talking about Mint Juleps…Mom’s Meatloaf…Southern fried green tomatoes and a childhood favorites, strawberry shortcake. These dishes will bring back sweet memories and the comfort of home. 

On my American Classics show we demonstrate how to do some traditional American Classics with the help of our special guest Chef Shannon Overmiller from the Majestic Restaurant. Be sure to check out the episode!  We filmed this one 4 years ago, but I was re-inspired at the farmers market when I saw fresh green tomatoes.  This recipe is also featured in the Capital Cooking Cookbook.

Fried Green Tomatoes

Serves 4

Ingredients for the Fried Green Tomatoes:

 
2 large green frying tomatoes

2 c. all purpose flour

1 c. yellow cornmeal

Salt to taste

Black pepper to taste

Pinch cinnamon

Pinch nutmeg

Pinch cayenne

Pinch paprika

2 whole eggs

½ qt. buttermilk

4 c. dry, plain, fine breadcrumbs

4 c. canola for frying

Salt to season after frying

Method:

Slice tomatoes ½ inch thick. Mix eggs and buttermilk vigorously in one mixing bowl. Mix flour, seasonings, and cornmeal in a separate mixing bowl. Place breadcrumbs in a third mixing bowl. Dredge sliced tomatoes in flour first, then milk mixture, and finally pat evenly in breadcrumb mixture. Bring oil to 400 degrees, fry tomatoes evenly until crisp and colored evenly. Release tomatoes onto a paper towel to drain, then season appropriately with salt.

Serve with aioli, ricotta salata, preserved lemon, and tomato ragu.

Ingredients for the Onion Tomato Ragu:
 

Thick sliced yellow onions

Chopped garlic

Fresh tomatoes- diced, blackened, seeded, pealed

Bayleaf

Salt and black pepper

Basil

Extra virgin olive oil

Method:

Sauté garlic in evoo. Add onions, sweat, Basil, bayleaf. Add tomatoes, sauté. Simmer to combine. Finish with touch of evoo, basil.

Ingredients for the Lite Aioli:

3 eggs

2 yolks

2 oz. lemon juice

2 c evoo

3 c canola

2 c garlic- chopped

2 tb. salt

Method:

Beat yolks eggs and garlic on high for ten minutes (almost until white). Slowly add oil. Thin with lemon juice carefully. Season with salt.


Photo by Mary Diaz and Emily Clack