Kitchen: Fried Green Tomatoes

I grew up in Florida and Georgia. Now I live in California, where some things related to Southern cooking are hard to find. Unripe green tomatoes for frying aren't sold in the supermarkets; to obtain them, one has to go to the farmer's markets and hope one of the tomato vendors has some unripe green ones, or one has to grow their own.

Anyway, a recent treasure trove of unripe green tomatoes found at the local farmer's market had me running home gleefully, loads of firm green tomatoes brimming in my arms. Here is my recipe for fried green tomatoes. And no, it's not just a movie.

I don't use measurements. I go by instinct.

2 unripe green tomatoes
some flour (1/2 cup or so)
lots of ground pepper (2 tbsp or to your taste)
2 eggs, beaten
corn or canola oil
tabasco

Put flour in one bowl and mix in pepper.
Beat eggs in another bowl.
Heat oil (maybe 1/2 inch deep?) in frying pan.
Slice tomatoes. about 1/4 inch thick, I think.
Dip tomato slice in beaten egg and cover both sides.
Dredge egg-covered tomato slice in flour/pepper mix until coated.
Place in pan.
Keep going with the rest of the tomato slices.
Your fingers will be sticky. Deal with it.
After about 5 minutes, turn over tomato slices and let the other side fry.
Turn over again in another 5 minutes.
After 2 minutes or so, transfer fried tomato slices to a plate lined with paper towels and let them drain for a few minutes.
Sprinkle with Tabasco to your taste.
Serves 1. Because I don't share. Preferrably enjoyed while lying in a hammock, sipping sweet tea and watching fireflies.

Click image to see a larger image

My mother's friend Tommy, in Georgia, rolls his fried green tomatoes in a mixture of cornmeal and a little flour, and fries them up in soybean oil, which gives them a richer taste and a little crunch.

All photos are ©2005 Kathryn Hill Photography.