Fried Green Tomatoes
The Southern American (and Creole-adjacent) appetiser: thick slices of unripe green tomato dredged in seasoned cornmeal, shallow-fried until deep gold and crisp-edged, served warm with rémoulade or hot pepper jelly. Crunchy crust, slightly tart and juicy inside, the green tomato holding its shape under the fry.
Overview
Firm green tomatoes slice 8 mm thick. Salt 10 minutes to draw water. Dredge: seasoned flour → beaten egg + buttermilk → seasoned cornmeal + breadcrumbs (this triple-dredge gives the crispiest coat). Shallow-fry in oil at 180°C until deep gold. Drain; salt; serve with rémoulade.
Ingredients
- 4 firm green tomatoes (large, cut into 8 mm slices)
- 1 teaspoon salt (for sweating)
Dredge
- 100 g plain flour (seasoned with 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp paprika, ½ tsp pepper)
- 2 eggs (large, whisked with 100 ml buttermilk)
- 150 g fine yellow cornmeal mixed with 50 g panko breadcrumbs and 1 tsp Creole seasoning
To fry
- 250 ml vegetable oil
- Coarse salt (to finish)
Rémoulade (quick version)
- 4 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon dill pickle (very finely chopped)
- 1 tablespoon spring onion (finely sliced)
- 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 garlic clove (crushed)
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Method
Stage 1 - Salt the tomato
- Lay slices on a wire rack; sprinkle both sides lightly with salt.
- Leave 10 minutes; pat dry.
Stage 2 - Rémoulade
- Whisk all rémoulade ingredients in a small bowl. Refrigerate.
Stage 3 - Dredge
- Set out three shallow dishes:
- Seasoned flour
- Beaten egg-buttermilk
- Cornmeal-breadcrumb mix
- Dredge each slice: flour → egg → cornmeal. Press firmly to coat.
Stage 4 - Fry
- Heat 5 mm of oil in a wide pan to 180°C.
- Fry slices in batches of 3-4, 2-3 minutes per side, until deep gold and crisp.
- Drain on a rack.
Stage 5 - Salt and serve
- Sprinkle with coarse salt while hot.
- Serve with rémoulade on the side.
Notes
- Truly green tomatoes: Firm, unripe, pale-green tomatoes from a farmers' market or your own garden. Bright-red tomatoes go to mush.
- Triple-dredge: Flour grabs the moisture; egg-buttermilk binds; cornmeal-panko crunches. Skipping the egg step gives a thin sad coat.
- Salt the slices first: Removes excess water that would steam the coat off.
Storage
- Eat fresh. Re-crisping isn't great - the coat goes soft fast.
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