Fried Green Tomatoes - a Southern Classic!

Southern Fried Green Tomatoes

Everybody likely remembers the movie Fried Green Tomatoes, based on the book by Fannie Flagg, Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe. It certainly popularized the common green tomato for sure and lots of restaurants jumped on that green tomato wagon shortly after the movie was released.

"There's not a tomato safe
south of the Mason-Dixon line." Fannie Flagg.

But truthfully, fried green tomatoes have been around a long, long time and likely date back to the Depression, when folks would just about fry up anything and call it dinner. A batch of fried green tomatoes with a big glass of sweet iced tea and you had yourself a tasty and light dish for a hot summer night. That would be light as in not heavy, not light as in diet-light!

Some folks claim that the idea of fried green tomatoes came somewhere out of the northern regions of our country and aren't even a "southern thing" at all! Well... no matter where or how they originated, I reckon you can't hardly hear those three words without at least thinkin' of The South, so it was a perfect name for a book and movie that depicted the ups and downs, ins and outs, and complexities of life in the south. I so love that movie and can't even guess at the number of times I have watched it.

Always best with fresh, green tomatoes picked straight out of the backyard garden, fried green tomatoes need to be served hot, preferably right out of the pan. They should be juicy on the inside, but crispy, crunchy and salty on the outside - never soggy!

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Recipe: Fried Green Tomatoes

From the Kitchen of Deep South Dish

Prep time: 10 min |Inactive time: 30 min |

Yield: About 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

• 2 large green tomatoes, or more as needed, preferably right off the vine
• Kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper
• Buttermilk to cover
• 1/4 cup or more of bacon fat
• 1 cup of cornmeal, more or less as needed
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of Cajun seasoning (like Slap Ya Mama)

Instructions

Slice the tomatoes into thick slices - 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch thick. Season generously with salt and pepper and let sit for 5 minutes. Place into a small, shallow bowl and cover with buttermilk. Allow to sit for at least 30 minutes or longer.

Melt bacon fat over a slightly over medium heat. I highly recommend serving these immediately out of the pan, however, you can preheat oven to just warm if you're doing a large batch and need to hold them to serve all at once.

Mix the corn meal with the Cajun seasoning on a plate. Remove the tomato slices from the buttermilk, letting excess drip off. Dredge in the cornmeal, coating both sides and edges. Dip the tomatoes back into the buttermilk and then the cornmeal. Place immediately into the hot fat, frying for about 3 to 5 minutes per side, or until golden brown, turning only once. Don't crowd the pan ... give them plenty of room to groove!

Drain on paper towels, sprinkle immediately with a generous amount of additional kosher salt as they come out of the pan and serve right away. Can also place into a low oven to keep warm if necessary. Continue with remaining slices, adding additional bacon fat to the skillet as needed. Tomatoes should be crisp, not soggy.

Serve just plain, with a dab of mayo, Comeback Sauce,  Spicy Mustard Sauce, White Rémoulade Sauce or your favorite sauce.

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Source: http://www.deepsouthdish.com

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Posted by Mary on June 10, 2009

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