Fried green tomatoes with homemade remoulade sauce
KCaulder@CalhounTimes.com
The South gets something of a bad rap when it comes to cooking. People who are jealous of our hand-me-down recipes and utterly delicious cakes often chastise us for frying just about everything.
If we’re being honest, we do get creative with our fryers. We throw things into vats of oil that other folks might not ever think to fry, from Oreos and alligator tails to pickles and gizzards. That said, we’re also the people who grow vegetable gardens in our backyards and bite into raw vegetables because we just really like them fresh.
This week’s recipe is a perfect blend of both those styles of eating, and it also happens to have been a staple in my Granny’s kitchen: fried green tomatoes.
More than just a classic ’90s movie starring Kathy Bates, Mary Stuart Masterson and Mary-Louise Parker, fried green tomatoes are a masterclass in southern cooking. They’re both spicy and tangy, fried until perfectly crunchy, and simple as anything to make. Doused in buttermilk, eggs and hot sauce, then covered in cornmeal, flour and Cajun seasoning, these tomatoes are perfect on their own or as a topping on your favorite sandwich.
My Granny loved them because they were the only tomatoes she could get my brother to eat. They’re still the only ones he’ll eat, and he’s old enough now to know he should be eating his vegetables.
Now, there are a couple of things to consider as you’re preparing to make this dish for the first time. Most importantly, you have to decide which tomato you’d like to use. One school of thought says fully-mature green heirloom tomatoes are necessary in a good fried green tomato recipe. Another claims unripened tomatoes are the better choice. I typically go with that last way of thinking. Unripened tomatoes are firmer and more tart, but there’s nothing wrong with using a fully-mature tomato. Whatever you have on hand will be fine if you’re not picky.
The next thing you have to consider is what sort of dipping sauce you’d like to have with your fried green tomatoes. This is less important when you’re planning to use them for a sandwich topping, but it’s vital if you serve them as a standalone dish. As Sipsey from the movie “Fried Green Tomatoes” once said: “Secret’s in the sauce!”
This particular sauce couldn’t be any easier. You just pop all the ingredients in a food processor, let them sit for a bit and then, BAM! Deliciousness.
Want to make your own fried green tomatoes with homemade remoulade sauce? Here’s what you need: For the tomatoes:
4 green tomatoes, sliced ½ inch thick ½ cup cornmeal
½ cup all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning ½ cup buttermilk
1 egg
1 tablespoon hot sauce
Vegetable oil for frying
For the remoulade sauce:
1 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Dijon
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped 1 tablespoon hot sauce
2 teaspoons whole-grain mustard 2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon capers, chopped 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 1 teaspoon paprika
1 green onion, sliced
¼ teaspoon salt
Cayenne to taste
Here’s how to make it:
Heat enough vegetable oil to fill a large skillet ½ inch deep. As it heats up, go ahead and combine cornmeal, flour and Cajun seasoning in a shallow bowl. In a
BELLE,
different bowl, combine buttermilk, eggs and hot sauce. This will be your dredging station.
Slice your tomatoes at approximately ½ inch thickness. Once sliced, submerge them one at a time into the buttermilk mixture. Allow the excess to drip off, then move them into the cornmeal mixture one at a time. Coat well and transfer immediately to the hot skillet.
Fry until edges begin to brown, then flip. Remove to paper towels to drain after both sides are golden brown.
While your fried green tomatoes are draining and cooling, start on the remoulade sauce. Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor and blend well. Allow to chill for as long as you can stand, up to one hour.
Serve with the remoulade sauce or inside of your favorite sandwich. Best eaten warm.