Fried Green Tomatoes (Recipe)

We've been blessed with a bumper crop of cherry tomatoes this year, but our slicing tomatoes have been stubborn to ripen. Fortunately, with a few simple ingredients, green tomatoes can be turned into a surprising hero of a summertime dinner table.

Every week, my little family heads to my partner's grandparents house for dinner. We bring the ingredients, and prepare the meal for all of us. And, when I say 'we', I mean me.

Kitchen witchery is my favourite kind of practical magic.

This past week, I decided to take a few of our stubborn slicers and whip up a batch of fried green tomatoes. They were such a hit (grandma & grandpa had never had them before!) I decided to share the recipe.

So, I present to you my very non-traditional, crispy crunchy fried green tomatoes. We love them with our favourite hot sauces, but you can enjoy them alone or with any dip you'd like.

FRIED GREEN TOMATOES

2/3 cup instant flour

1 tsp coarse sea salt

1 tbsp red pepper flakes

1 large egg

1/4 cup half & half cream

1 cup panko breadcrumbs

3  unripe green tomatoes, cut into 1/4 inch thick slices

Extra virgin olive oil for frying

Instructions

1 - Season the flour. Mix the flour, salt, and red pepper flakes together in a wide, shallow bowl.

2 - Make the wet mixture. Whisk the cream & egg together in a second wide, shallow bowl.

3 - Prepare the panko. Pour the panko in a third wide, shallow bowl.

4 - Bread the tomato slices. Place a wire rack on top of a baking sheet. Dip each tomato slice in the flour mixture, followed by the egg mixture, and then the panko breadcrumbs.

5 - Set the coating. Place the breaded tomato slices on the wire rack in a single layer, to allow the coating to set. Meanwhile...

6 - Heat the oil. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cast iron is best for even heat distribution. (I used a non-stick and they turned out just fine.) The oil should begin to shimmer, and sizzle immediately if you sprinkle flour into it.

7 - Fry the tomatoes. Carefully add 4 to 5 tomato slices  and fry until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer the fried tomatoes to a paper towel lined plate. Fry the remaining tomato slices.

8 - Enjoy! Serve the tomatoes immediately.