This video recipe for the southern classic, fried green tomatoes, was made using the giant green tomatoes picked at the Wild Boar Farms tasting. They almost went unpicked when we felt how hard they still were, but then the idea for a green, green fried tomato came to mind.I always assumed that this recipe was nothing more than a way to use up those unripe green tomatoes before winter's chill, but, origins aside, it's interesting, uniquely flavored, and surprisingly light for a fried item.
I've always had a bad attitude about this recipe thanks to the movie of the same name. I'll pretty much go and see any movie with food in the title, figuring that even if the movie stinks, at least it will have food in it.So, you can image my disappointment that the movie didn't have very much green fried tomatoes information in it. What it did have was women talking to each other about other women talking to each other.
Anyway, I've gotten over it, and can now enjoy this recipe without thinking about whether Ninny was really Idgie, or not. I hope you can find some large green tomatoes, and give this recipe a try. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
4 (1/2 inch) slices green tomato
1 cup flour
2 eggs
2 tbsp milk
3/4 cup bread crumbs
3/4 cup corn meal
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
cayenne
vegetable oil
1 tbsp butter
Sauce:
equal parts sweet relish and mayo
hot sauce to taste
View the complete recipe
35 comments:
Great video! My mouth was watering the whole time.
Haha the horn sound was hilarious! I laughed everytime you played it :D
Thanks for the recipe! I have tried fried eggplant slices which are prepared the same way as the tomatoes but instead of tomatoes you use eggplants.... and they are also very tasty!
Thanks! And, thanks for pointing out the key difference between the two recipes. ;)
"So, you can image my disappointment that the movie didn't have very much green fried tomatoes information in it. What it did have was women talking to each other about other women talking to each other - and talking, and talking."
That is too funny. I first heard of Fried Green Tomatoes from that movie... (and I liked the movie, haha). I always wanted to try making it, but it's pretty hard getting unripe tomatoes.
But found some recently and will try this out!
Fried Green Tomatoes--my all time favorite movie--there's something to be said for feeding a southern red neck sheriff southern red neck human ribs without him knowing. LOVED IT!!!!!!!!!
Those look really great! Like the background banjo music - nice touch.
Yeah, that was appetizing.
Thanks, I love the banjo (and the dixie car horn!)
Have a garden full of tomatoes that are taking their time getting red so I will certainly try this recipe. Ever since the movie I have been wanting to make green fried tomatoes. Thank you.
I know I'm not the brightest bulb in the drawer or should I say sharpest knife on the tree but... are they really "green tomatos" or are they green because they are not red yet?
Thanks!
By the way... I have to have the record for trying to copy your cooking techniques at home. Not all but almost all! I have learned alot and have eaten tons, many tons of awesome cuisine, thanks to you and your blog!
WOOOO WHOOOO!!!!
Chef, you are a great inspiration - but sometimes you make me so hungry...
the tomato was unripe, AND a green tomato. It would have been the same color once ripe. Any unripe tomato will work.
Chef
Was that a bug in your video at 1.37..? It seemed to crawl up and under one of the tomatoes. I checked my screen and it wasn't at my end? Adds to the crunchy texture no doubt...lol
Ok I'm confused! Was that just a one day thing at the farm or do they do that all the time??! I WANT TO GO!!
eww...I saw the bug too. I went back a few times to make sure my eyes weren't deceiving me, but it was there. Also, being southern, I have to say we traditionally only use (stone ground) corn meal in the breading. I LOVE green fried tomatoes.
yes, a one day thing :(
And it was a little fruit fly. He's no longer with us.
LOL
Chef John,
Great video! Easy to follow steps and great color on the finished tomatoes.
I love the recipe and the horn sound but to my dismay there were no green tomatoes at the farmers market. Soooooo, being as my taste buds are kicking in I will have to try elsewhere for them. The horn made for some giggles each time as I read the recipe. Fun, fun!
Easy and YUMMY!!! Definatly going to make this again!
You should try reading the book _Fried Green Tomatoes_, it's (of course) WAY better than the movie which followed it. I think it might contain a recipe of some sort.
I have little green tomatoes..I wonder if I could use those?
I enjoyed both the movie and your recipe (and being able to watch it being prepared online). I'm glad you don't have the "special" barbecue recipe from the movie. :-)
good dish :) it can be done also with those green long pumpkins, I don't know the word for it... but I think you know what vegetable I am talking about :) those are sweet and just delicious; they also an be prepared with sliced fresh mushrooms like those on your New York Strip Dish
PS: I think it is called "vegetable marrow" or "squash"
Anonymous said...
I know I'm not the brightest bulb in the drawer or should I say sharpest knife on the tree but... are they really "green tomatos" or are they green because they are not red yet?
Thanks!
=========
To make Fried Green Tomatoes, you must use a tomato that isn't fully ripened (i.e. not red or whatever color the tomato will be when they are fully ripe). Fully ripe tomatoes have too much liquid & are too soft so that they will turn to mush when you cook them in this recipe. Therefore, you need a firm, unripened tomato to hold up to the temps & movements during cooking.
This is what I'm cooking tonight.
I'm a true southerner from the background of "if it ain't fried, it ain't done!" Well, I've converted to eating healthier over the years but there are two fried foods I'll never give up - Nana's fried chicken and fried green tomatoes!
I saw this on YouTube and favorited it. I was a little hesitant about trying this recipe because I've always made them a certain "tried and true" way. But I cannot lie... these were better than the old family recipe (minus the fruit fly). I say this knowing the risk of being disowned and stopped from entering Tennessee without a disguise.
I've read that you have to be careful about eating too many unripened tomatoes because they're "toxic." Do you know anything about that, Chef?
thanks! no, not poison. read this http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/29/dining/29curi.html
that looks so good. but i never saw green tomatoes.
what season can i find them?
u have to know someone with a garden, then u can get hundreds
thanks chef John for replying.
first i have to look for someone with a garden...
meanwhile i will just enjoy grilled veggie with the sauce. that relish sauce looks so yummy:)
Well I've got about 20 tomato plants this year of varying species and they are pumping out like crazy. Saw this on youtube a few minutes ago and going to grab some unripe ones to give it a shot. Only thing I'm surprised about is all the ingredients only makes 4 slices.
You can get a few more probably...i'm not big on measuring and those are probably guesses anywhere.
To take the bitterness out of the green tomato (before doin' them all up in the usual fried green tomato recipe) soak the green tomato slices in a batch of milk that's been sprinkled with brown sugar. Some people like that bitterness, but some of us don't. Soaking them in milk and brown sugar for about 30 minutes before continuing on with the usual prep and recipe gives them a slightly 'sweet' flavor, which is fabulous in the end result.
Greetings from Spain - just fried me up a batch using your recipe and it was a huge hit! Thanks for posting it.
Outstanding recipe!! Thanks so much!
The thing that makes this recipe so great is the prep and the set-up time for the tomatoes -- I could never get the coating to stick right, but this time my FGTs came out perfectly!! Bravo on a fabulous video and recipe!
PS -- I added a few capers to the sauce and did a little more hot sauce as well, and it was quite flavorful. Don't forget to mix your "tarter sauce" up before hand so it has an opportunity to "marry" the ingredients and produce a fuller flavor.
Post a Comment