Fried Green Tomatoes

Fried green tomatoes are a Southern summer classic, with a crisp, well-seasoned crust around a slice that stays firm and tart. Look for hard, unripe tomatoes at the market.

Ingredients

• 2 firm green tomatoes, washed
• Salt and pepper
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup breadcrumbs
• ½ cup finely ground cornmeal
• 2 eggs
• A splash or two of full-fat cultured buttermilk
• High-heat neutral oil, such as sunflower or expeller-pressed coconut oil, for frying

Instructions

1. Cut the tomatoes into even ¼-inch slices. Thicker slices stay too wet, and thinner ones fall apart in the pan. Lay them out on a cutting board and salt them lightly while you get everything else ready.
2. Pour at least 1 to 1½ inches of oil into a deep 10- to 12-inch cast-iron skillet and set it over medium heat.
3. On a wide plate, mix the flour, cornmeal and breadcrumbs with a fork. Season generously with salt and pepper, then taste a pinch. It should be noticeably salty with a little pepper bite, so add more if it tastes flat.
4. In a shallow bowl, beat the eggs with a splash or two of buttermilk.
5. Test the oil by dropping in a bit of bread; it's ready when the bread bubbles and fries gently. Bread the slices one at a time: dry mix, egg, dry mix, egg, then a final coat of dry mix.
6. Ease each slice into the oil as soon as it's breaded, keeping the burner at medium so the oil doesn't overheat. Turn with tongs once golden and fry until evenly golden brown on both sides.
7. Lift out with tongs and drain on a wire rack set over a baking sheet.

Tips

• Serve on butter lettuce with ranch dressing, or tuck the slices into a burger, an omelet or a BLT.

Adapted from Meredith Leigh.