As I tweeted last night, I harvested two lovely tomatoes - one from each plant - and made fried green tomatoes for dinner. Fried green tomatoes have a sweet/tart flavour and retain a little of the under-ripe crispness through the cooking process that reminds me almost of a good, fresh apple in texture.
Fried green tomatoes, as many know from the 1991 film, are a classic dish from the American South. Here in Canada, our early frosts make it much more likely the tomatoes won't get fully ripe on the vine, so green tomato dishes should be more widely known and popular than they are.
For those of you who have tomato plants, choose mature tomatoes just before they start to show hints of their final colour. For those of you who don't have tomato plants, farmer's markets may sell green tomatoes. Here in Ottawa, I have found them in both the Parkdale and Byward farmer's markets. While you would never keep a ripe tomato in the fridge (it ruins the texture and flavour), green tomatoes should be kept in the fridge to prevent ripening. Assuming you don't cook and eat all of them at once.
There are many, many different ways to make fried green tomatoes. I am not going to debate cornmeal vs breadcrumbs, or pan frying vs deep frying. I am going to tell you the way I like them. Of course, I am still experimenting a bit.
First step: remove the stems and cut into 1 - 1.5 cm (1/2 inch) slabs. Place in a strainer and add some salt and let sit for half and hour or so. This serves the dual purpose of drawing the excess moisture out, which helps the tomatoes hold their shape while cooking and ensures a crunchy, rather than soggy, exterior, and adding that first layer of seasoning.
When you're ready to start frying, heat oil in s skillet to medium-high on the stove. I use grapeseed oil in a cast iron skillet. A seasoned cast iron pan, with its heavy, flat bottom cooks so many things beautifully. I use grapeseed oil because it is neutral in flavour and has a high smoke point. As the pan is heating, put together your assembly line: flour for dredging, liquid (eggs, buttermilk, or milk) for dipping, and panko breadcrumbs for the final crust. I have made this with both an egg dip and a buttermilk dip. The panko crumbs adhere better to the egg dip, but the buttermilk adds more flavourwise. Next time, I am going to mix egg and buttermilk in an attempt to get the best of both worlds. Season the breadcrumbs as you like - garlic is common, dried herbs like basil and oregano would work well, as would smoked paprika, or, if you want a little heat, chili flakes or ground chipotle pepper. Salt and pepper are standard of course.
Fry the tomatoes 3-5 minutes (the thicker the slab of tomato, the longer the cook time) on each side until the coating is golden brown. Remove from the pan and drain on paper towels.
Some people make a dipping sauce. Personally, I just like to crumble some Maldon salt, grind some pepper and squeeze a lemon over the finished product and then enjoy.
Fortunately, I have alternative sources of green tomatoes, otherwise I might have trouble letting any of the tomatoes on my plants ripen. I highly recommend giving this dish a try. Good as a side, a snack, or a breakfast.
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