Cheesy fried green tomatoes
Because they’re not fully ripe, green tomatoes are tart, dense
and perfect for frying as they have less moisture and hold their shape.
This recipe will yield fragrant disks with thick savory crusts and a
tart, tender interior. They’re fantastic with a soft poached egg on
top, and if you want to go for the full heart attack, make a cream and
sausage gravy to pour on top (I call this Southern Eggs Benedict).
2 firm green tomatoes cut into 1/4″ slices
1/4 C cornstarch
1 egg
1/4 C buttermilk
1/4 C cornmeal
1/4 C flour
1/4 C hard cheese grated on a microplane (I used an aged farmhouse cheddar)
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp Season All (or other seasoning salt)
olive oil for frying
fleur de sel for sprinkling
Setup 3 shallow flat bottomed bowls or plates by adding the
cornstarch to one, the egg and buttermilk to the next and the cornmeal,
flour, cheese, paprika and Season All to the last. Beat the egg mixture
and whisk together the cornmeal mixture.
Set a wire rack over a baking sheet to catch the fried goods. In a heavy bottomed frying pan add about 1/4″ of oil and heat.
While the oil is heating up, salt and pepper each slice of tomato then dust lightly in cornstarch.
When the oil reaches 340 degrees F, dip a slice of tomato in the
egg mixture making sure every nook and cranny is moistened then
transfer to the cornmeal mixture covering and pressing into the mix to
make sure you get a nice thick crust. Gently place it in the hot oil
then repeat with a few more until the pan is full.
When you see the edges of the first tomato start to turn golden
brown, gently flip it over using tongs (be careful not to break the
crust on the tomato). Fry until the second side of the tomato is a nice
golden brown then transfer to the wire rack to drain.
Sprinkle with some fleur de sel and serve.
