Recipe Grandma's Fried Green Tomatoes

[JAS_OH1]

This is a simple dish that can be used in a number of ways. I chose to use mine in BLTs (bacon, lettuce, tomato sandwich) in lieu of using ripe tomato slices and they were great like this, but these can be enjoyed on their own as an appetizer with a yummy dipping sauce like this one: Recipe - Spicy roasted tomato, garlic, and goat cheese spread

Notes: This recipe yielded about 6 fried green tomato slices, enough for two people as a snack or appetizer. Simply double the recipe if you would like more. It's important to fry the tomatoes immediately after the second flour dredge. If you let the breaded tomato slices sit on a plate for longer before cooking they will become soggy. Also, if you are cooking a second batch, dump out the oil and wipe out the pan, then add more oil for the second batch. This prevents any burnt residue and unpleasant flavor attaching to the second batch.

Ingredients:

2 medium sized green tomatoes, sliced into 1/8" strips (ends discarded)
Salt and pepper sprinkle for naked tomatoes
1 cup of AP (all purpose) flour
1/2 tsp sea salt for flour dredge
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
Vegetable oil for frying

Preparation method:

Slice the green tomatoes in approximately 1/8" thick strips and place on a flat pan or plate. Sprinkle lightly on both sides with salt and pepper. Place the flour and additional sea salt/black pepper and mix together well (garlic powder or other seasonings can be added if so desired). Dredge the tomatoes on both sides in the flour mixture and shake off any excess, then place the slices back on the pan or plate. After about 5 minutes, the flour mixture will be a little wet from the juices in the tomato, so run through the flour dredge one more time, shaking off excess.

Pour a small amount of oil (approximately 1/2") in a shallow skillet and turn on medium heat. When the oil begins to simmer, add the fried green tomato slices into the hot oil. Cook on each side for 3-4 minutes (you can lift each slice to check the bottom of each slice to make sure that it is sufficiently browned before flipping over).

Place cooked tomatoes on a plate lined with a paper towel. Eat and enjoy with your favorite dipping sauce or encorporate into a sandwich or other dish.





Here's a photo of the fried green tomatoes during the build for the BLT.

 

[rascal]

Hi Russ, I got corralled into work today and didn't get a chance to write it up, but basically you slice the green tomatoes in about 1/8" strips and place them on a plate, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Dredge them in a seasoned flour mixture and shake off the excess flour. You can use any seasonings you like, salt, pepper, garlic powder, etc. in the flour mixture. Give them another brief drege after about 5 minutes and fry in a skillet immediately with just a shallow amount of oil, maybe 1/2" of oil, then put on paper towels to drain. Make a nice dipping sauce for them to eat and enjoy.

There are lots of recipes out there that call for using cornmeal instead of flour and doing a buttermilk egg wash dredge, but IMO that's too much breading and I don't like the cornmeal as much. I do them the way my husband's Italian grandmother taught me to do it!

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Thanks. I will save this for this summer. I will try this. Not how I thought it was cooked.

Russ

 

[JAS_OH1]

Thanks. I will save this for this summer. I will try this. Not how I thought it was cooked.

Russ

Yeah, it's much simpler than most people think. If you like that heavy breading you can do a eggwash dredge but really these are quite tasty just like this and it makes the tomatoes shine. I think if someone were to do a heavier breading they would want to make the tomato slices thicker.

If you do large batches you might want to wipe the oil out of the pan in between each batch so that the second batch doesn't get any burnt residue on it and add a fresh new layer of oil. That's what my husband's grandma taught me to do. Not deep fried by any means!

I didn't mention to cook on one side for a few minutes and flip over and cook for a few more on the other, I didn't think I needed to do that. You are such an experienced cook (as all of our regular forum members are) that I knew you would know that, LOL.

That sauce I made for my BLTs last night would make a good dipping sauce. You can tweak it anyway you like, leave out the goat cheese if you aren't a fan...

 

[rascal]

I'll try a few for me first. Again, thanks

Russ

 

[The OMWC]

Hi Russ, I got corralled into work today and didn't get a chance to write it up, but basically you slice the green tomatoes in about 1/8" strips and place them on a plate, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Dredge them in a seasoned flour mixture and shake off the excess flour. You can use any seasonings you like, salt, pepper, garlic powder, etc. in the flour mixture. Give them another brief drege after about 5 minutes and fry in a skillet immediately with just a shallow amount of oil, maybe 1/2" of oil, then put on paper towels to drain. Make a nice dipping sauce for them to eat and enjoy.

There are lots of recipes out there that call for using cornmeal instead of flour and doing a buttermilk egg wash dredge, but IMO that's too much breading and I don't like the cornmeal as much. I do them the way my husband's Italian grandmother taught me to do it!

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I'm on my way. Should be there by noon.