- 3
Ingredients
- For 6 people
- 3 pounds green tomatoes (about 6-8 medium tomatoes)
- 3 large eggs, beaten
- 3/4 cup whole milk
- 3 cups peanut oil
- 3 batches Lee Bros. All-Purpose Fry Dredge (see below)
- Kosher salt, if needed
- Lemon juice, if needed
- Makes 3/4 cup
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons stone-ground cornmeal
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
Preparation
Step 1
Now, I’m a connoisseur. I’ve eaten them fancy (with lump crab and goat cheese); I’ve eaten them plain. And I’ve gotten Jeff hooked on the ones at our favorite meat-and-three. A place where the weekly menu looks older than the Ten Commandments, and regulars commit it to heart just as reverently, for thou shalt have fried chicken on Monday but thou art outta luck any other day. Luckily, the fried green tomatoes are a daily blessing. Served three at a time on their own dish to keep them crisp. Made with a dredge so coarse you can see the needles of rosemary sticking out, like the tomato’s literally about to explode with flavor.
My skillet wasn’t the right size for any serious deep-frying, so I whipped out my nuclear option: a cast-iron round French oven. It’s deep and heavy, practically splatter-proof. While the oil heated, I sliced and dredged the tomatoes – a much simpler task than expected, since they’re so firm. Then I lowered them into the oil. Making fried green tomatoes at home is dangerously easy.
3 large eggs, beaten
1. Cut out the stem ends from the tomatoes, and slice the, 1/4-inch-thick with a serrated knife; reserve. Whisk the eggs and milk together in a broad, shallow bowl.
2. Pour the oil into a 12-inch skillet, and heat over medium-high heat until the temperature on a candy thermometer reads 365 degrees. (If using a different size skillet or pan, fill with oil to a depth of 1/3 inch.)
3. Heat the oven to 225 degrees. Set a baker’s rack on a cookie sheet on the top rack.
4. Spread the dredge on a large plate or pie pan or in a small, shallow baking pan. Taste the tomatoes. They should have a bright tartness like citrus fruit. If they don’t, sprinkle the slices with salt and lemon juice. Then press 1 tomato slice into the dredge, once on each side, shaking any excess loose. Dunk in the egg mixture, then dredge the slice on both sides again. Shake off any excess ad place the slice on a clean plate. Repeat with more slices until you’ve dredged enough for a batch (3 or 4 slices). With a spatula, transfer the first batch of slices to the oil.
Makes 3/4 cup
In a medium bowl, sift the flour, cornmeal, salt, and pepper together twice. Stir and turn out onto a flat surface. Press tomatoes into the mixture on all sides and shake the excess loose.
Makes 1 1/4 cups
In a small bowl, whisk the ingredients together until thoroughly combined. Cover tightly and store in the refrigerator not more than 2 days.