Fried Green Tomatoes

I've been away from the kitchen the last few weeks rehearsing an opera in Cincinnati, Ohio. I'm also away from my home in Philadelphia and subletting an apartment with very little cooking utensils... so I'm challenged in with preparing certain dishes.

However... I'm back today with a FANTASTIC recipe for Fried Green Tomatoes! A true Southern classic! This is brought to you by Patrick & Gina Neely and listed on Food.com Click HERE to see their video.

I tried fried green tomatoes this past March for the first time while I was performing in Valdosta, Georgia. I was instantly hooked, unsurprisingly. I couldn't wait to find a recipe when I got home so I could make my own batch. After hunting around through cookbooks and various cooking sites online, I was drawn to The Neely's recipe. I loved the idea of using panko instead of cornmeal. Green tomatoes are usually out in early Summer and are easy to find in certain regions in the United States... as Gina Neely says in the video though, Northerners may find it a bit more difficult to find them. Southerners, you're in luck!

I made these for my best friend, whom I'm living with in Cincinnati... and we both were in the love with these tomatoes after the first bite! I'll be making these again and again for years to come. :-)

NOTE: There is a recipe for a dipping sauce at the bottom that goes wonderfully with these tomatoes!

Fried Green Tomatoes

Ingredients:

Oil
4 green tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch rings
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon garlic powder
4 eggs
2 tablespoons milk
1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs
Pinch cayenne pepper
Pinch paprika
Buttermilk Dipping Sauce - recipe follows

Directions:

1. In a deep-fryer, preheat oil to 350 degrees F.    (I used a skillet & heated the oil on medium-high)

2. Season tomatoes, on both sides, with salt and pepper. Place flour and garlic powder in a shallow dish. In another shallow dish, beat eggs with the milk.

3. In another dish, mix bread crumbs with cayenne and paprika. Dredge tomatoes through the flour, then the eggs, and then through the bread crumbs. Add only a few pieces to the fryer at a time, so they can cook evenly, about 2 to 3 minutes. 

4. Drain on paper towels and serve with Buttermilk Dipping Sauce.

Buttermilk Dipping Sauce:

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar (online, they forgot to list this as apple cider VINEGAR)
2 tablespoon brown sugar
3/4 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Neelys BBQ sauce
1 lime, juiced
4 scallions, sliced thin
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the apple cider vinegar and brown sugar. Allow to reduce until thick and syrupy. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

2. In a medium bowl, add buttermilk, mayonnaise, BBQ sauce and lime juice and whisk well. Add in the scallions and the apple cider mixture. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve with Fried Green Tomatoes.