Fried Green Tomatoes

A great fall recipe to use up those green tomatoes on the vine that won’t ripen after first frost. Traditionally fried, we prefer to bake ours and include instructions for the oven. As always, we tested the gluten and dairy free version of this recipe too, and have included those options. Eggs are not the star of this dish, but they’re crucial for delicious, crunchy breading.

Ingredients

4 large, firm, and completely unripe tomatoes

2 eggs

1 cup of buttermilk (for dairy free add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to a cup of non dairy milk. Set aside for 10 minutes.)

1 cup of cornstarch

1 cup of flour – we used Bob’s Red Mill 1-1 gluten free flour

1 cup of cornmeal

Salt and Pepper

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon garlic powder

Oil, if frying

Directions

Slice each tomato into 3-4 think slices, reserving tops and bottom for another purpose. Salt each slice and wait 10 minutes for excess moisture to be drawn out.

Heat your oil in a large skillet or preheat your oven to 400 F.

Beat your eggs and buttermilk in a large shallow bowl. Place flour and cornmeal into another large shallow bowl, add salt and pepper, paprika, and garlic powder, and mix together. Place cornstarch in a third large shallow bowl.

Wiping salt and moisture off of each piece as you go, dredge slices in the cornstarch, then dip into egg mixture, and finish by dredging into the flour mixture. Place into hot oil or onto a lined, sprayed cookie sheet. Silpats also work well. Repeat until pan/sheet is full and fry/bake.

Fry until golden brown on both sides. Bake for 20 minutes total, stopping to flip the slices halfway through.

When the first batch is finished, set aside to drain and begin the next batch. Fried green tomatoes are best eaten immediately. Baked slices can be frozen for later use. Enjoy!