I know what you’re thinking: “fried green tomatoes” and “crispy” are not two words that belong in the same sentence. But damn it, these fried green tomato nuggets are crispy! I know because my partner—who despises fried green tomatoes—ate an entire plateful in one sitting. And he never does that. So let’s get down to business: how do you make these little babies perfectly crispy?
Here’s how:
Ingredients
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dredging
- 1/4 cup cornmeal, plus more for dredging
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 medium green tomatoes (about 1 pound)
2 medium green tomatoes (about 1 pound)
You can use red tomatoes, but the green ones are better for frying. If you have both types, feel free to mix them up! You can also cut the tomatoes into 1/2 inch slices or even smaller if you want more surface area for coating and frying.
2 eggs, lightly beaten
- Beat the eggs in a medium bowl. Add milk, flour and salt and pepper. Mix well until smooth.
- Heat 1-2 inches of oil in a large skillet over medium heat until hot but not smoking (about 350 degrees F). Dip each tomato slice into batter for about 10 seconds per side; then add to hot oil. Cook for 2 minutes on each side or until golden brown and crispy.* Remove from oil with tongs onto paper towels to drain excess grease before serving hot!
1/4 cup milk
Add the milk to your egg mix. You’ll want to use whole milk, not skim or 2%. The fat content in whole milk will help keep your batter from getting soggy when you fry it up. Add the milk last so that it doesn’t curdle with any residual egg whites at the bottom of your bowl (which can happen if you add too much liquid).
1 cup all-purpose flour
You’ll need:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
- 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
If you’ve ever eaten a fried green tomato and thought the flavor was just a little off, it probably wasn’t because of your own taste buds. The truth is that most recipes for this Southern favorite call for way too much salt–and that can make all the difference in how well your dish turns out.
Here’s why: When you add salt to any food, whether it’s a simple egg or something more complex like tomatoes and cornmeal batter, some of those molecules dissolve into water molecules on their way through your mouth (which means they’ll also dissolve into other things). But if there’s too much sodium chloride present in one area of your mouth at once–say when biting down on an entire slice at once–then those salts won’t get absorbed properly into other parts of your body; instead they’ll just pool up around them until eventually forming crystals that irritate sensitive tissue like gum lines or cheeks! And those painful little formations aren’t just uncomfortable; they can also lead us feeling sicker than normal thanks to dehydration caused by having less saliva available due
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, divided
Black pepper is a common spice that adds flavor to your food. It’s been used for thousands of years, and it’s a key ingredient in many recipes.
Black pepper can also be used as a spice when cooking with green tomatoes. Sprinkle some on top before serving these crispy fried green tomatoes and you’ll get an extra kick from them!
Vegetable oil, for frying
To ensure that you have enough oil to cook all of your green tomatoes, you should use a deep pan or pot with a capacity of at least 2 inches. If you don’t have one that large, use two smaller pots instead.
To measure the vegetable oil for frying, place a tablespoonful in a measuring cup and add more until it reaches 1/2 cup total (about 3 tablespoons). Add this amount to your chosen vessel(s). You can use any type of vegetable oil here; I recommend sunflower or safflower because they have high smoke points, which means they won’t burn easily when heated over direct heat like olive oil would do if used for frying purposes instead!
When heating up these oils before adding them into whatever vessel(s) they’ll be cooked within (like tomatoes!), make sure not too much heat goes directly onto their surface area where it might start smoking up quickly due to lack thereof being able to dissipate quickly enough due -to being exposed directly onto those surfaces without anything else between them; this could lead potentially dangerous situations where fire breaks out if not taken care properly beforehand so please keep these things mind whenever possible while making sure everything else stays safe too!”
Chowchow sauce or remoulade sauce, for serving (optional)
Chowchow sauce or remoulade sauce, for serving (optional)
If you’re looking to add a little something extra to your fried green tomatoes, try topping them with a dollop of chowchow or remoulade. Chowchow is a sweet and sour mustard-based relish that’s popular throughout the South; it’s especially good with fried foods like this! For some extra tanginess and creaminess, consider using remoulade instead–it adds great flavor when paired with fried foods.
It’s time to get your fried green tomato fix.
Fried green tomatoes are a Southern favorite, and for good reason: they’re delicious! This recipe is easy to make and versatile, so you can serve it with or without breading and frying. It also works great when made with eggs instead of flour for an eggy version that’s lighter on the carbs but still delicious.
Conclusion
So, what are you waiting for? Get out there and fry up some green tomatoes! They’re the perfect side dish to any meal and they’ll keep your taste buds guessing.
