Pic of Fried green tomatoes

Fried green tomatoes

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Soups & stews

Fried green tomatoes

Main Serves 4 15 min
Fresh and tangy within a crisp golden crust, this Southern dish of fried green tomatoes should be eaten hot. You can also fry red tomatoes following this recipe, but they're in danger of being mushy if they're overly ripe. As well as a starter or side, this makes a very classy addition to a breakfast fry up.

Ingredients

  • 450g green tomatoes, cut into slices 5mm thick
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • cornmeal or polenta for coating
  • 8 rashers smoked streaky bacon or pancetta, chopped into small pieces (optional)
  • oil for frying e.g. sunflower
  • butter for frying
  • a little parsley or basil, chopped, to garnish
  • salt and pepper

Method

Prep time: 5 min
Cooking time: 10 min

  • Step 1

    Season the tomato slices. Beat the egg in a shallow dish. Spread a layer of cornmeal or polenta out on a plate. Coat each tomato slice in the egg, then the cornmeal or polenta.

  • Step 2

    If using bacon, fry the it in a little hot oil until crisp. Transfer it to a plate.

  • Step 3

    Add a good knob of butter to the bacon fat remaining in the same pan (if not using bacon, heat a knob of butter with 2 tbsp oil). Fry as many tomatoes as you can fit in the pan in a single layer, until golden on both sides (you may need to cook in batches, depending on the size of your pan). Serve scattered with crumbled bacon if using, and chopped herbs.

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