Fried green tomatoes

The Southern origin of this dish was perpetuated by Fannie Flagg’s 1987 novel, Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe, set in Alabama. However, Robert F Moss, a culinary historian from South Carolina, suggests it may have entered American cuisine via Jewish immigrants to the north-east and Midwest. Serve this dish as a side with fried chicken.

Credit: SBS Food

• serves

  4

• prep

  20 minutes

• cook

  10 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 150 g (1 cup) plain flour 
• 2 tsp garlic powder 
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten 
• 60 ml (¼ cup) buttermilk 
• ½ tsp Tabasco 
• 165 g (2⅓ cups) packaged breadcrumbs 
• 4 large green tomatoes, cut into 1 cm-thick rounds 
• vegetable oil, to shallow fry

Instructions

Combine flour and garlic powder in a shallow bowl and season with salt and pepper. Whisk together eggs, buttermilk and Tabasco in a second shallow bowl. Place breadcrumbs into a third shallow bowl.

Dust tomato slices with flour mixture, shake off excess, then dip in the egg mixture and coat in breadcrumbs. Place on a plate.

Heat 2 cm oil in a large, heavy-based frying pan over medium–high heat. Cook tomatoes, in batches, for 2 minutes each side or until golden brown. Drain on paper towel and scatter with sea salt to serve.

Photography by John Laurie.          

As seen in Feast magazine, Jan 2012, Issue 5.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.