fried green tomatoes - seasoning

[AlaMoi]

there are many delicious "combos" for fried green tomatoes (FTG) . . .

(we've just cleaned out the garden)

crab topping, shrimp, remoulades, avocado, etc etc

 

but

not much about seasoning the breading itself to pep up "plain" FGT

(for clarity, this is the flour dredge+egg wash/buttermilk/cream+breading type breading)

 

they all do salt & pepper

various "std" suggestions - corn meal, panko, 'seasoned bread crumbs,' etc - which affect primarily the texture but can add a lot of flavor

... more adventuresome ... saltine / oyster cracker / Ritz crumbs.... 

 

not too many ideas on making the breading itself more zippy.

discovered so far:

cayenne
onion
garlic
cumin - for the Tex-Mex crowd
dry basil

and "cajun seasoning" which covers a lot of undefined ground....

 

other ideas solicited!  (not so much the toppings and sauces tho)

[kayb]

I tend to stick to just salt and pepper. I'd say use any spice you like. 

 

One trick for gluten-free breading, which I have not used for FGT but should work, is crushed Rice Chex cereal. I've also seen people bread them in crushed Corn Flakes or potato chips.

[ElsieD]

Please excuse me for asking this question as I am a Northener and generally speaking, we like our tomatoes red, not green.  I have seen many a reference to fried green tomatoes and it is something I just can't wrap my head around.  I don't understand why anyone would want to eat a green tomato when one can eat a tasty, juicy, perfectly ripe one.   So clearly, I don't understand the attraction.  What is it about a FGT that makes you want to eat them?  If someone can convince me if the merits, I'll cook some up and try them.

[heidih]

@ElsieD  well fried is always appreciated by many, there is a tang and meatiness  in the greenie, and from a Southern perspective a great frugal use of the ones that not make it to harvest before frost. And then if a movie buff - well ya know - a classic nostalgia association;)

[Kim Shook]

27 minutes ago, kayb said:

I tend to stick to just salt and pepper. I'd say use any spice you like. 

 

One trick for gluten-free breading, which I have not used for FGT but should work, is crushed Rice Chex cereal. I've also seen people bread them in crushed Corn Flakes or potato chips.

We have lots of folks who need GF and I've found that the GF panko is actually really good.  I used them to coat shrimp burgers and I honestly could not tell the difference.

[Katie Meadow]

@ElsieD The tomato should be flavorful and not rock hard, but not yet red and ripe. The breading should be applied with a light hand; not so thick  as to overwhelm the delicate tart tomato. A shallow fry is fine, no need to deep fry. Generous salt and pepper. Fresh herbs, minced, or dried as taste dictates. Love it as a side, but also in a fried green BLT. Best eaten right away! When you see them on a steam table they probably won't be very good. Anyway, it isn't a major commitment, so try it and see what you think. The first time I tasted one  I was a convert. And I grew up in New York where most people have never tried it. 

[Smithy]

12 hours ago, ElsieD said:

Please excuse me for asking this question as I am a Northener and generally speaking, we like our tomatoes red, not green.  I have seen many a reference to fried green tomatoes and it is something I just can't wrap my head around.  I don't understand why anyone would want to eat a green tomato when one can eat a tasty, juicy, perfectly ripe one.   So clearly, I don't understand the attraction.  What is it about a FGT that makes you want to eat them?  If someone can convince me if the merits, I'll cook some up and try them.

 

As @heidih and @Katie Meadow noted above, FGT can be a revelation. Properly done, they are tart and firm, with a delightful, lightly crunchy and spicy coating. They are an excellent transport mechanism for ranch dressing or the classic remoulade sauce. IMO they are a delicious use of those last tomatoes of the season that won't ripen properly and will never become "tasty, juicy and perfectly ripe". (My father talked about how his mother would make a relish that she called "chow chow" from her green tomatoes as the season closed. It was another frugal use of the garden's tag-end. I wish I'd seen her recipe.) I thought the idea of FGT seemed odd too, but tried them and became a convert. My husband is still unimpressed by them, however, so mileage varies.  

[TicTac]

I must admit, I really do not get the whole breading of fried green tomatoes...

 

To me at least, one of the main joys in fried green tomatoes is the caramelization of the tomatoes sugars.

 

After a while, in some good olive oil, typically with garlic and onion hunks, often a chili pepper - the tomato turns dark brown and gets ooey and gooey. 

 

Absolutely delicious. 

 

This year I am going to make a batch and then turn it into a jam - should be pretty killer.

[Smithy]

@TicTac, I haven't tried them without any sort of coating. That sounds good too. Thanks!

[TicTac]

@Smithy - Just keep an eye on them as their sugars will burn if left alone - would love to hear your thoughts once you have a chance to try it out!

 

 

 

[kayb]

They have a different-from-tomato-but-you-can-still-tell-it's-tomato taste, is the best way I can describe it. I love them in combo with ripe ones in a BLT or caprese. They also make an excellent base for eggs benedict, should you be looking to cut carbs.  For me, it's about the combo in flavoring.

 

[Smithy]

On 9/20/2019 at 8:38 AM, TicTac said:

@Smithy - Just keep an eye on them as their sugars will burn if left alone - would love to hear your thoughts once you have a chance to try it out!

 

 

I made my first attempt at fried green tomatoes last night. We had friends come for dinner, and I warned them in advance that dinner would be a series of experimental dishes. (These are truly good friends!) I sliced the tomatoes about 1/2" thick. I dipped roughly half of the tomato slices in an egg/milk wash then dredged them in corn meal. The other slices I simply fried, with no coating. At the table we had choices of a remoulade sauce and a buttermilk ranch dressing.

 

It was interesting to see how some of the tomato slices fell apart, I suppose because I let them get too soft. @TicTac, thanks for the idea for trying some uncoated! We all liked the uncoated slices with that caramelization. I have to admit however that we preferred the coated tomatoes for the contrast in texture. The coating fell off of some, and we spent some time discussing ways to make it adhere better. The accidentally-uncoated tomatoes weren't as good as the deliberately-naked TicTac tomatoes.

 

In poking around these forums and reviewing this earlier topic on Fried Green Tomatoes I found a link to this great-looking recipe from The Spruce Eats for Oven-Fried Green Tomatoes. I want to try this recipe, too: I really hate pan-frying in the house because of the cleanup.

 

I have a lot more green tomatoes with which to experiment. I had asked the farmer for a dozen, if he could spare them, and by the time picking rolled around he couldn't remember, so he brought me a box!

[Shelby]

The ones that you dipped in the egg and cornmeal--try dredging them in flour first, then the egg, then the cornmeal.  It should stick better  

[AlaMoi]

methinks 1/2 inch is a bit too thick for 'optimum'

 

as you observed, cooked too long the slices get too soft and begin to disintegrate/fall apart. 

the trick is a thickness that allows them to cook to soft but not burn the coating/breading - which obviously also implies a suitable temp.

I go by ear - with enough oil (depth) to keep the pan around the slices coated, a "medium sizzle" - just listen.  if the sizzle sound get too frantic, they'll burn.

[TicTac]

3 hours ago, Smithy said:

 

I made my first attempt at fried green tomatoes last night. We had friends come for dinner, and I warned them in advance that dinner would be a series of experimental dishes. (These are truly good friends!) I sliced the tomatoes about 1/2" thick. I dipped roughly half of the tomato slices in an egg/milk wash then dredged them in corn meal. The other slices I simply fried, with no coating. At the table we had choices of a remoulade sauce and a buttermilk ranch dressing.

 

It was interesting to see how some of the tomato slices fell apart, I suppose because I let them get too soft. @TicTac, thanks for the idea for trying some uncoated! We all liked the uncoated slices with that caramelization. I have to admit however that we preferred the coated tomatoes for the contrast in texture. The coating fell off of some, and we spent some time discussing ways to make it adhere better. The accidentally-uncoated tomatoes weren't as good as the deliberately-naked TicTac tomatoes.

 

In poking around these forums and reviewing this earlier topic on Fried Green Tomatoes I found a link to this great-looking recipe from The Spruce Eats for Oven-Fried Green Tomatoes. I want to try this recipe, too: I really hate pan-frying in the house because of the cleanup.

 

I have a lot more green tomatoes with which to experiment. I had asked the farmer for a dozen, if he could spare them, and by the time picking rolled around he couldn't remember, so he brought me a box!

I like the ring of that.... 'Fried Green TicTac Tomatoes' - thought it might be off-putting to some 😛

 

Glad you attempted and enjoyed!

 

I get the whole textural contrast topic.  When I was still eating gluten, a really crunchy country bread along with the FGTTT's on top, with their oil, fried onions and garlic - was a beautiful thing!

 

For me I prefer them to coated simply because of the caramelization and new flavours which emerge which their coated cousins simply cannot create.

 

I did a batch of marinated pickled green tomatoes this weekend, while not fried - they are quite delicious!

 

 

[Smithy]

1 hour ago, TicTac said:

 

I did a batch of marinated pickled green tomatoes this weekend, while not fried - they are quite delicious!

 

Got a recipe for that? I'm thinking about making a green tomato relish with some of these babies.

[Kim Shook]

6 hours ago, Smithy said:

 

I made my first attempt at fried green tomatoes last night. We had friends come for dinner, and I warned them in advance that dinner would be a series of experimental dishes. (These are truly good friends!) I sliced the tomatoes about 1/2" thick. I dipped roughly half of the tomato slices in an egg/milk wash then dredged them in corn meal. The other slices I simply fried, with no coating. At the table we had choices of a remoulade sauce and a buttermilk ranch dressing.

 

It was interesting to see how some of the tomato slices fell apart, I suppose because I let them get too soft. @TicTac, thanks for the idea for trying some uncoated! We all liked the uncoated slices with that caramelization. I have to admit however that we preferred the coated tomatoes for the contrast in texture. The coating fell off of some, and we spent some time discussing ways to make it adhere better. The accidentally-uncoated tomatoes weren't as good as the deliberately-naked TicTac tomatoes.

 

In poking around these forums and reviewing this earlier topic on Fried Green Tomatoes I found a link to this great-looking recipe from The Spruce Eats for Oven-Fried Green Tomatoes. I want to try this recipe, too: I really hate pan-frying in the house because of the cleanup.

 

I have a lot more green tomatoes with which to experiment. I had asked the farmer for a dozen, if he could spare them, and by the time picking rolled around he couldn't remember, so he brought me a box!

Lots of good advice here.  I agree with 1/2-inch being too thick and also the flour-egg-cornmeal that @Shelby suggested.  It also helps to put them in the fridge for at least 30 minutes after coating, but before frying. This helps the coating stick to the tomato when its cooking.  I'm not a fan of oven cooked tomatoes.  But, YMMV.  I've had them with a cornmeal-egg-panko coating and that was very good, too. 

[kayb]

Use your FGT's in a BLT. If you are a fan of pimiento cheese, put some of that on there, too.

 

One of my favorite restaurants in Memphis has a well--known appetizer/salad, the BLFGT.  Stacked, a lettuce leaf or two or three, a couple of slices of FGT, aioli, crumbled bacon on top. I do find that in a BLFGT sandwich, a nice garlic aioli is better than straight mayo, as the FGT is somewhat blander than the ripe variety.

 

A restaurant here in Jonesboro does a "Southern Spirit" sandwich, FGTs, lettuce, sliced ripe tomatoes, bacon, hot sweet pickles, pimiento cheese and bacon slaw. It's a serious Dagwood -- you need to just go ahead and use a knife and fork, and not even try to pick it up. The bacon slaw is interesting -- light mayo dressing, cabbage and carrots, and lots of chopped bacon.

 

[TicTac]

21 hours ago, Smithy said:

 

Got a recipe for that? I'm thinking about making a green tomato relish with some of these babies.

 

There are a number of methods one can use to make a relish with them.  My preference is to cook them, caramelize, along with onions garlic and a bit of chili - and blend that up.  Makes a fantastic pasta sauce, pizza base, etc etc.

 

In the past I have sliced them fairly thin, salted heavily and put vinegar and pressed them for a few hours.  After that simply oregano, chili and olive oil - you can blend that to make a relish.

 

This time around I took the advice of an Italian neighbor and sliced, blanched them in a mix of vinegar and water, and then put them still warm into a dressing of garlic, chili, oregano, red wine vinegar and olive oil.  3:1 oil:vinegar - at least, but to your tastes.  Salt and Pepper.

 

They are pretty tasty.

 

 

[Smithy]

On 10/1/2019 at 10:25 AM, TicTac said:

There are a number of methods one can use to make a relish with them.  My preference is to cook them, caramelize, along with onions garlic and a bit of chili - and blend that up.  Makes a fantastic pasta sauce, pizza base, etc. etc.

 

Following the idea above, I started with this very pretty assembly of tomato slices, onion, garlic, and jalapeno with a bit of oil drizzled over it. It didn't seem to need vinegar at that stage, so I hadn't added any.

 

 

I cooked it, stirring once or twice, in a 400F oven until it had browned and collapsed. The final product before blending doesn't look as appetizing, but it was delicious. It's now sitting in containers to become pasta sauce or some other lovely accent note.

 

I also found time to try this recipe for Oven-Fried Green Tomatoes. As usual, the photo by the professionals and my results are wildly different. 

 

 

We dipped the FGT in remoulade sauce or ranch dressing, as we pleased. They tasted good - much better than they look (which is not nearly as appealing as the picture on TheSpruceEats page) - but nothing as good as what I've had in restaurants. 

 

I have a very few green tomatoes left. I may try deep-frying them, just to get them off the counter and this FGT bug out of my system, or I may try one of TicTac's other ideas instead. That first relish is really great!