Fried Green Tomatoes Recipe

How to make it

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• Slice your green tomatoes 1/3 of an inch thick. Some people slice them too thickly -- which means that your batter will get soggy and they won't have a crisp exterior. Slice them too thinly and they're tasteless.
• Lay the sliced tomatoes on a foil-covered baking sheet (or simply lay foil on your counter) and generously add salt, pepper and a pinch of sugar to each one.
• LET THEM SIT for at least 15 minutes. You'll notice that the tomatoes will start to sweat liquid -- this is what's supposed to happen.
• Pour the canola (or peanut) oil into your skillet to a depth of one inch, and turn your heat to high. Use a cooking thermometer to make sure you bring your oil up to 360 degrees.
• Having a high temperature before you put in your battered green tomatoes is really important -- it's what makes them crisp, and helps them to color really beautifully.
• Meanwhile, in a paper sack or gallon freezer bag, mix the flour and cornmeal.
• In a bowl, mix the egg with a fork, then pour in the buttermilk and mix.
• Put the slices of green tomato into your flour/cornmeal mixture and turn to coat. I usually do all of my tomato slices before moving on to the next step.
• See how the flour/cornmeal sticks to the tomatoes? This is because of the liquid that comes to the surface because of the salt and sugar.
• Now place the green tomato slices into the egg/buttermilk mixture, and then BACK into the sack to coat them with your flour/cornmeal mixture. Shake off the excess.
• How to Fry Them
• Once your oil has reached the right temperature (did I mention how important it is to get your oil heated to 360 degrees? It's important -- really. The tomatoes need to fry quickly so the oil won't penetrate the tomatoes and make the batter soggy from the inside.)
• Slowly lower the battered tomatoes into the oil -- I usually put in about 7 or 8 at a time.
• Let them fry for several minutes (you'll see that the bottom has turned a golden brown) then carefully turn the slices over and let them continue to fry until they're golden on all sides.