Fried Green Tomatoes

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

•   4 large green tomatoes
•  2 eggs
•   1 cup all-purpose flour
•   ½ cup cornmeal
•   2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
•   1 quart vegetable oil for frying

METHOD

Slice tomatoes ½ inch thickness. Discard the ends. Whisk eggs and milk together in a medium-sized bowl. Scoop flour onto a plate; 2 mix cornmeal, breadcrumbs and salt and pepper on another plate.

Dip tomatoes into flour to coat, and then dip tomatoes into milk and egg mixture. Dredge in breadcrumbs to completely coat.

In a skillet, pour vegetable oil (enough so that there is about ½ an inch of oil in the pan) and heat over medium heat. Place tomatoes into the frying pan in batches of 4 or 5, depending on the size of your skillet. Do not crowd the tomatoes; they should not touch each other. When the tomatoes are browned, flip and fry them on the other side. Drain them on paper towels.

Pino’s side note : fried green tomatoes are a great “stand alone” dish. They can also be paired with a salad of arugula, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers and a light drizzle of aged balsamic dressing. Mozzarella, cut into cubes, is a great compliment to this salad.