Monday, October 8, 2012

Fried Green Tomatoes


Mom being from the South, we always had fried green and red tomatoes.  Naturally, I've had them in many different restaurants from high dollar to country dives over the years. This recipe is asked for by friends and family alike.  I think you'l like em!

Green tomatoes:  The greener the better. When I find them I store in the vegetable crisper to keep them from turning red till I'm ready to fry.  I thick sliced 2 medium tomatoes and 2 of us ate them, so 1 tomato per person.

1 Cup of flour

1/2 cup of you favorite Cajun spices

3 eggs

1 Cup Buttermilk

2 cups Panko  bread crumbs

2-3 slices of thin Prosciutto 

Sour Cream

Salt N Pepper

1 Cup of white Crisco; you can add some bacon grease to it or just use bacon grease.

Directions: Wash and cut the tops and bottoms off a little of the tomatoes and slice thick, 1/2" each.

Add your Cajun spices, a 1/2 Tsp of cracked pepper to the flour in a wide flat bowl and mix. (Usually Cajin spice had enough salt in it.)  The tomatoes need the spice; and can handle it well.  It complements the flavor of the tomato.

In another wide flat bowl, add the buttermilk, and crack the eggs in.  Mix very well, no eggy strings. If need be, add a dash of water to thin and you might just want to mix with a emulsion mixer.  

In the last wide flat bottom bowl pour in the Panko Crumbs.  

Use a large iron skillet over med high heat, and add the Crisco, and or bacon grease.  In another small skillet, dab some EVOO and add the Prosciutto.  Just crisp it up and remove for later.

Flour a slice of tomato, shake off the excess,, then dip in the egg mixture, then cover with the panko, and shake off excess.  Then gently drop in the hot pan. (I use a pair of tongs and a fork to do this.)  Then repeat for each slice.  Don't over fill the pan.  Fry for 2 min and check the bottoms.  When their a nice golden brown, flip them.When the tomatoes are done, set them on some paper towels to drain off the grease.

While the tomatoes are cooking, chop up the prosciutto into bits.
Serving: Top each tomato with a dollop of sour cream and sprinkle some prosciutto bits on top.