Despite popular belief, fried green tomatoes did not originate in the southern United States. According to Robert F. Moss, author of The Fried Green Tomato Swindle and Other Southern Culinary Adventures, the dish first appeared in 19th century Northeastern and Midwestern cookbooks such as Indiana’s Buckeye Cookery and Practical Housekeeping, published in 1877, and Presbyterian Cookbook, published in Dayton, Ohio, in 1873. Moss suggests that Jewish immigrants may have brought the recipe with them to America, and from there it moved onto the menu of home economics teachers who helped popularize the dish nationwide. The iconic food became popular and linked to the South after the movie Fried Green Tomatoes, set in Alabama, came out in 1991.
Recipe Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- ½ cup buttermilk
- ½ cup all-purpose flour, divided
- ½ cup cornmeal
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- 3 medium-size green tomatoes, cut into ¼-inch slices
- Vegetable oil, to a depth of ¼- to ½-inch
- Salt, to taste
Directions
- Combine the egg and buttermilk. Set the mixture aside.
- Combine a ¼ cup flour, cornmeal, salt, and pepper in a shallow bowl or pan.
- Pour the oil to a depth of ¼ to ½-inch in a large frying pan and heat to 375°F.
- Coat each tomato slice in flour, and then dip in egg mixture, and coat in cornmeal mixture.
- Drop the tomatoes, in batches, into the hot oil and cook for about 2 minutes on each side or until golden brown.
- Remove the tomatoes from the oil and place them on a paper towel to remove excess oil.
- Sprinkle the hot tomatoes with salt and serve with an optional dipping sauce such as ranch or remoulade.
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