Recipe Sunday: Blackened Fried Green Tomatoes

Every summer I buy green tomatoes. Every summer I say I’m going to deep fry them. Every summer I get randomly intimidated by the idea, and I don’t.

This summer, I finally did.

What the hell was wrong with me? They’re super easy to fry, the coating is amazing, and they’re perfect for a quick appetizer.

I combined them with a decent amount of blackening spice and served them with a chipotle dipping sauce.

These guys had some heat, which worked really well with the citrus flavor of the tomatoes.

So, since they’re cheap and plentiful – buy a bunch of green tomatoes and play with them. Don’t be intimidated. You won’t regret it. In fact, you’ll love them.

Blackened Fried Green Tomatoes

Fried Green Tomatoes Vertical

Serves 2.

Ingredients:

  • 2 large green tomatoes, sliced into ½-inch pieces
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup shredded parmesan
  • 1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • 1-2 teaspoons blackening seasoning
  • 1 large egg
  • ½ cup half-and-half or milk
  • Peanut oil

Instructions:

Salt the tomatoes, and let them sit for 5 minutes. (This draws out excess water.)

Combine the panko, flour, parmesan, parsley, and desired amount of blackening seasoning in a medium bowl.

In a second bowl, whisk the egg and half-and-half together.

Pour ½-inch of oil in a medium frying pan.

Heat the oil over medium heat, until a bit of panko browns immediately sizzles and turns brown within a few seconds.

Pat the tomatoes dry with a paper towel.

Place the tomatoes into the egg mixture, and then dredge through the panko mixture. Press well to adhere.

Fry the tomatoes for 1-2 minutes, or until golden brown. Flip, and brown on the second side.

Drain on paper towels.

Chipotle Dipping Sauce

Chipotle dipping sauce

  • ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 tablespoon store-bought or homemade chipotles in adobo sauce
  • 1 tablespoon finely diced onion
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions:

Mix all of the ingredients together in a small bowl. Serve immediately, or refrigerate to let flavors meld for 1 hour.

(Photos by Launie K.)

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