Summertime means tomatoes! Growing up my southern grandmother fried everything – lol! Especially tomatoes and summer squash so these guys brought back all sorts of happy memories.
I inherited my grandmother’s cast iron skillets and they are one of the most cherished pieces in my kitchen. So, of course, that’s what I used to make this crispy summer appetizer!
Fried Green Tomatoes with Feta and Balsamic Drizzle
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 20
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 8 slices 1x
- Cuisine: Southern
Ingredients
Tomatoes
- 2 large green tomatoes – sliced 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1/2 cup cornmeal
- 1/2 breadcrumbs
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- pinch paprika
- pinch garlic powder
- pinch onion powder
- salt/pepper to your taste
- oil – canola or similar
- Thick balsamic vinegar
- feta cheese (or goat cheese)
Dipping Sauce
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon mayo
- 1/2 a lemon juiced
- 1 garlic clove – smashed into paste
- tabasco – 2 or 3 dashes (+/- to your taste)
- large pinch paprika
- 1/2 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 2 dashes of Worcestershire sauce
- garlic salt/pepper to taste
Instructions
- Make the dipping sauce – in a bowl mix all the ingredients together and place in the fridge while you prepare the tomatoes.
- Slice the tomatoes into 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick slices. Place in between paper towels to dry. Just before you’re ready to use, salt and pepper both sides.
- Set up an assembly line (use shallow bowls or rimmed plates) in bowl #1 place the flour, bowl #2 crack the eggs, and whisk with the milk. Bowl #3 place the cornmeal, breadcrumbs, paprika, garlic and onion powder, stir. (Note, if you only had cornmeal or breadcrumbs that’s fine, you don’t have to have both).
- In a deep heavy skillet add oil, enough to do a shallow fry. (It should not be deep enough to cover the tomatoes.) Heat to 350F. If you do not have a thermometer stick the end of a wooden spoon into the oil. If it bubbles, you are ready to go.
- Coat the tomatoes in the flour (shake off excess) then dip in the egg mixture (let excess drip off) then coat in cornmeal.
- Working in batches fry tomatoes until golden brown on both sides. Once browned, place on a paper towel to drain, sprinkle with a tiny pinch of salt.
Assemble
Place the fried tomatoes on a platter and drizzle with dipping sauce, balsamic and sprinkle with feta. To make the pretty drizzle lines, place sauce in a plastic baggie and snip off the very end and pipe onto the tomatoes.
Notes
If you didn’t want to go to the trouble of making your own dipping sauce, your favorite ranch dressing would be great too!
Keywords: Fried Green Tomatoes
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