Dinner Tonight: Fried Green Tomato BLT
Although I'm a little surprised to say this, my new favorite BLT is made with fried green tomatoes. I got the idea from someone I had just met. We were sitting at a bar, and after a few drinks it sounded just strange enough that it might actually work. When I started searching, I realized that many, many people had thought of this before. Some tried to spruce up the recipe, adding all kinds of herbs and such. I just wanted to replace the T with FGT. I decided to find the best way to fry a green tomato and go from there.
The recipe for the fried green tomatoes came from the Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook. The green tomatoes are dredged in flour and cornmeal, dipped into a milk-and-egg mixture, and redredged before taking a dip in the fryer. They come out crisp on the outside and creamy on the inside. It's a great contrast, and in a sandwich that relies on the interplay of different textures, it's a welcome treat.
Fried Green Tomato BLT
- serves 2 -
Ingredients
3 green tomatoes, sliced 1/4 inch thick
2 eggs
1/2 cup whole milk
3 cups canola oil
1/2 cup flour
3 tablespoons cornmeal
2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper
lettuce
4 slices bread
4 slices bacon, cooked
mayonnaise
salt and pepper
Procedure
1. Pour the oil into a small pot. Heat it to 365 degrees. Preheat the oven to 225 degrees. Place a wire rack on a sheet pan in the oven.
2. Crack the eggs into a small bowl. Pour in the milk and whisk together. In another small bowl combine the flour, cornmeal, salt, and pepper.
3. Dredge the pieces of slices of green tomatoes one at a time in the flour mixture, shake off any excess, and then toss in the egg wash to coat, and then transfer back to the flour mixture.
4. Toss the pieces in the hot oil, and cook for 2 minutes on each side. When done place the fried tomatoes in the oven on the wire rack.
5. Construct the sandwiches. Slather the pieces of breads with mayonnaise. Sprinkle with salt and lots of pepper. Top with bacon, lettuce, and the fried green tomatoes. Top with the other slice of bread.
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10 Comments:
Oh, hell yeah. Forget waiting for those tomatoes to ripen on the vine!
sstrudeau at 6:28PM on 09/02/08
Hell yeah is right! Add some goat cheese. You'll think you died and went to Texas.
carolrsf at 8:28PM on 09/02/08
Wow. I can NOT believe I've never thought of this! I love each individually, but together? Surely divine! I must procure some green tomatoes now... Thanks for the fantastic idea!
gastronomeg at 11:10AM on 09/03/08
Crazy! Just last night I "made up" this recipe and was planning on posting about it...only to find I'm not the only one thinking the very same way. Oh well.
My sandwich was a touch more simple:
2 pieces toasted Brioche Bread
2 pieces turkey bacon, browned
Two small zebra green tomatoes (unripe), sliced 1 inch thick
two leaves of red leaf lettuce, rinsed
1 teaspoon home made aioli
salt and pepper
I browned the turkey bacon and put it on a towel to de-grease it and then salted the green tomato slices and sauteed them in the same pan with just a touch of olive oil. I cooked the tomatoes until they were caramelized on both sides. I quickly slathered the bread with the mayo, layered the "bacon", the lettuce and then the tomatoes and closed the whole thing up for the most amazing BLT I've ever tasted!
Here's to thinking brilliant thoughts together!
Foodwoolf.com
Foodwoolf at 6:20PM on 09/03/08
A deli here in South Philly makes a similar sandwich called the Fried Tomato Sandwich. It's on sarcone's rolls with fried tomatoes, bacon, lettuce, and cheese (I get fresh mozz). Add long hots and a bit of mayo... DELICIOUS! They're back from vacation tomorrow and that's whats for lunch!!
marianne215 at 11:24PM on 09/03/08
I've made these before. Nothing new to me but sooo delicious. I have a ton of green tomatoes right now. I know what I am having for lunch! Thanks for the inspiration.
RisaG at 11:37AM on 09/08/08
Brioche and fried green tomatoes!! Now that's a City Mouse meets Country Mouse version!!
Comfortcook at 9:27AM on 09/09/08
I know it's a year since you posted that, but I just stumbled across it today. Lunch was the question, and the bumper crop of fair size heirloom tomatoes growing in the upside-down contraption as well as the latest crop of micro greens... enter YOUR BLT....
we loved it.... I use no-flour squirrely bread slices, smoked pork jowl in lieu of bacon (yumm that flavor), and said micro greens... husband devoured 2. I stuck with one, but had the tiniest bit of Stilton left. So I smeared that on half the sandwich. O M G.... heaven
and you know, I'll tweet this recipe again today
KundryCooks at 3:41PM on 09/08/09
kundrycooks: Thanks a lot. Stilton sounds like a great update. I might have to try that!
Nick Kindelsperger at 3:46PM on 09/08/09
I am a year late too, but I needed a fried tomato recipe. Just for fun I planted a tomato plant and I didn't get too many ripened tomatoes, but I was just out at my garden and I have several green tomatoes and I thought that would be great for dinner. Thanks!
janaatwg at 5:08PM on 09/14/09