Fried Green Tomatoes

Nothing says the South like fried green tomatoes. They are quintessentially Southern. Since I haven't had the pleasure of visiting the south, I had my first bite in Portland, Oregon. It was in this locals' joint called Pine State Biscuits. The food was amazing! If you're visiting Portland be exceptional to yourself and stop by Pine State Biscuits, you won't be disappointed. The tomatoes were perfectly seasoned, crispy and a bit of sweetness. After all these years I can still taste them! They serve them with ranch dressing. I loved the combination. The buttery tangy of the dressing, saltiness of the crust and the subtle sweetness of the tomato; it was love at first bite!! I've been dreaming about those tomatoes and am reminded every time I watch the movie Fried Green Tomatoes! I love the movie and I love the dish! Doing both at the same time is the best!

It's amazing how simple these tomatoes can be but it's important to make sure that the tomato isn't watery. Watery equals soggy. Nobody wants a soggy fried green tomato. So be vigilant about wetness. To prevent that I salt my tomatoes first and let the water get sucked out and them dry them with a paper towel. After that comes the breading: cornstarch, egg and panko crumbs. Traditionally there is flour and cornmeal involved in the breading so if you want to go more traditional replace the cornstarch with flour and add cornmeal to regular breadcrumbs. I like the cornstarch because it helps with the crispiness.  I pair my fried tomatoes just like Pine State Biscuits, with ranch. These are so tasty with my ranch dressing!  I hope you give these a try! Simple Southern Goodness!

Buen Provecho!!

Salt, let stand for 10-15 minutes, pat dry with paper towel.

Coat with cornstarch, egg, then panko. Let them step up for 10 minutes on a wire rack.

Fry in oil and butter, 3-4 minutes on each side until golden brown.

Serve immediately with some ranch for dipping.

Fried Green Tomato - 2-4 servings, appetizer

Ingredients:

1 Large Green Tomato, sliced
1/2 cup Cornstrach
1 egg
1/2-1 cup panko bread crumbs
Salt n Pepper
Oil & Butter for pan frying

Ranch Dressing for dipping

Road Map:

1. Place tomato slices onto a rack over a paper towel. Sprinkle about 1 tsp of salt and let the slices
    stand for 10-15 minutes, allowing the salt to draw out the extra juices.

2. While tomatoes are resting on the rack get the breading station ready. In the first dish add
     cornstarch with salt , 2nd dish beaten egg and 3rd panko crumbs.

3. Pat tomato slices dry with paper towels. Place slices, one at a time, into cornstarch coating both
 sides; dip in egg and then cover completely in panko.

4. Lay breaded tomatoes on a rack and let them set up for about 10 minutes.

5. Place a large nonstick skillet over medium heat; add oil & butter to pan. When butter bubbles carefully lay in tomatoes to fry, about 3-4 minutes on each side, until golden brown.

6. Placed fried tomatoes on a paper towel to drain. Sprinkle with salt. Serve immediately with the ranch. Enjoy!