For some reason fried green tomatoes make me get all nostalgic. They are kind of hoaky, right? I feel like fried green tomatoes are the kind of thing you’ll find in real down-home country kind of place, right next to a big pile of buttermilk biscuits and a bowl of cheesy grits. This theory is reinforced by the fact that I never even tasted a fried green tomato before coming to Texas.
Now that I’m here, I find that Fried Green Tomatoes vary quite a bit from cook to cook, ranging from light and cripsy to thick and chewy. They can be lightly touched by cayenne pepper, or blazing hot with cajun spice. I’m yet to meet one I didn’t care for, but since they aren’t the healthiest snack, what with the deep frying and all, I don’t eat nearly as many as I’d like.
When I decided to make my own recipe, I took a cue from buttermilk baked chicken, a recipe that fakes the eater out by baking on a thick crust of cripsy cornflakes. The result is a suprisingly hearty snack with plenty of crunch, but far less fat. The seasoning in this recipe is in the neighborhood of medium, so if you like things spicy, don’t be afraid to add a little extra Cajun seasoning or cayenne pepper.
I haven’t tried this method to make “fried” pickles yet, but I can’t see why it wouldn’t work. If you don’t have green tomatoes handy, try whipping up a batch using kosher dill spears. In that case, a nice homemade ranch dressing might make a better dip.
Cornflake Crusted Green Tomatoes
Serves fourIngredients
- 4 large green tomatoes
- 3 cups cornflakes
- 1/2 cup flour
- 3 eggs
- 1/3 cup plain greek yogurt
- 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 400 F.
- Cut the tomatoes into 1/4″ thick pieces.
- Crush the cornflakes, then pour them out onto a dish.
- Mix the flour with 1 tablespoon of the Cajun Seasoning, and pour into another dish.
- Mix the eggs, yogurt, and remaining Cajun seasoning together in a small bowl.
- Dredge each slice of tomato in flour, then in the egg mixture, then in the cornflakes. This will be pretty messy, so I recommend using a different fork for each stage.
- Place the tomatoes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or silpat sheets.
- Bake for twenty minutes, or until the crust becomes crunchy and slightly browned.
Quick Remoulade
Makes 1/2 cupIngredients
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons chopped pickle or pickle relish
- 1 tablespoon mustard
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Directions
- Mix ingredients together in a small bowl. Add salt, pepper, or extra hot sauce to taste.