Fried Green Tomatoes

Fried Green Tomatoes

Photography by Chelle Hardman

I've lived in the south for 44 years and did not eat my first fried green tomato until about 7 years ago. I don't know how that is possible but it is. Needless to say I fell completely in love with them! I've since experimented with different batters and concoctions. Below is one that I'm in love with! I found inspiration in William Sonoma's Salad a Day cookbook. They call it a Fried Green Tomato Capresse salad or something like that. In a nut shell, fry the tomato, top it with fresh mozzarella and a basil leave. Finish it off with a drizzle of basil infused olive oil. In this recipe, I replaced the mozzarella with feta and I loved it!

EVERY ingredient makes a difference in the final taste of fried green tomatoes! From the oil to the batter to the toppings to the dipping sauce and so on. You can do a lot with them. They even make fried green tomato batter. After trying a few different batter concoctions I have settled on plain Jane Panko bread crumbs and salt. Oh my gosh, they have the best crunch when finished. I really prefer to cook them in a good quality olive oil although today I used canola oil. Canola oil can get really, really hot without smoking. Average olive oil, not so much. If you are fortunate enough to have access to really high quality olive oil, it too has a high smoke point. My local gourmet olive oil shop sells top notch olive oil for 20.00 a bottle. It stings your throat a little and has a smoke point of 400 degrees. You don't want oil to get so hot it smokes because it begins to break down and the compounds that are formed are very unhealthy. Today I topped my tomatoes off with a little feta cheese, torn basil leaves and the basil infused olive oil I bought at Ingles. So give it a shot! Here is the recipe and directions.

• Makes about 4 slices.
• 1 Green tomato
• 1 cup Panko Bread Crumbs
• 1/2 tsp of salt
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 egg
• Feta cheese to taste
• Fresh basil leaves
• Basil infused olive oil (see link below)
• Oil for frying (canola, olive, etc.)

Slice the tomato into about 4 slices. In one bowl mixed the buttermilk and egg with a whisk. In a separate bowl mix the Panko bread crumbs and salt. Heat oil in a small skillet on the stovetop on medium heat. You know it is ready when you can drop a little Panko in and it sizzles. Prepare your cheese, has it ready. Have your basil ready too. Dredge the tomato slice in the buttermilk mixture and then cover it with the Panko mixture on all sides. Gently set it aside.Do the same thing with the other slices. Then put all of them in the hot oil and when they start to brown a little on the edges, flip them. When they are ready pull them out and put them on a bed of paper towels. Salt them to taste. Move them to a plate, top them with the cheese and basil leaf. Finish them off with a drizzle of basil infused olive oil. Enjoy!

Here is a sampling of infused olive oils I found on Amazon. This set gets great reviews. Generally infused oils are used as a finishing touch. That's how I use them anyway. They are expensive but they last a long time.