Crispy Fried Green Tomatoes with Remoulade

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •12-inch cast iron skillet
• •Instant-read or deep-fry thermometer
• •Wire cooling rack
• •Sheet pan
• •Three shallow dishes or pie plates for breading

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the remoulade

   Combine mayonnaise, both mustards, cornichons, capers, lemon juice, horseradish, garlic, parsley, and smoked paprika in a bowl. Whisk until smooth. Add hot sauce if you want heat. Taste and adjust the salt. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. The flavors sharpen and meld during this rest. The sauce will keep for a week, and honestly improves after a day or two.

   If you can't find Creole mustard, double the whole-grain and add a pinch more horseradish.
2. 2

   Slice the tomatoes

   Trim the stem end and blossom end from each tomato. Slice into rounds about 1/4-inch thick. You want uniform thickness for even cooking. Lay the slices on paper towels and blot gently to remove surface moisture. Wet tomatoes steam instead of fry, and the coating won't adhere. Sprinkle both sides lightly with kosher salt and let them sit for 10 minutes while you prepare the breading stations.

3. 3

   Set up the breading station

   Place the flour in a shallow dish. In a second shallow dish, whisk together eggs and buttermilk until smooth. In a third dish, combine cornmeal, the remaining salt, black pepper, cayenne, and garlic powder. Fork through to distribute the spices evenly. Arrange these in a row: flour first, then egg wash, then seasoned cornmeal. Set a wire rack over a sheet pan at the end of the line.

   Use one hand for dry ingredients and the other for wet. This keeps your fingers from becoming breaded clumps.
4. 4

   Bread the tomatoes

   Blot the salted tomato slices dry again. Working one at a time, dredge a slice in flour, shaking off excess. Dip into the egg wash, letting the excess drip back into the bowl. Press firmly into the cornmeal mixture, coating both sides completely. Set on the wire rack. Repeat with remaining slices. Don't stack them. Let them rest for 5 minutes before frying. This brief rest helps the coating set and adhere.

5. 5

   Heat the oil

   Pour oil into a large cast iron skillet to a depth of about half an inch. Heat over medium-high until the oil reaches 350°F. Use a thermometer. Guessing leads to soggy or burnt tomatoes. Drop a pinch of cornmeal into the oil. If it sizzles immediately and floats, you're ready. If it sinks and sits there, wait longer. If it turns black instantly, reduce your heat.

6. 6

   Fry until golden

   Carefully lower tomato slices into the hot oil, working in batches of 4 or 5 to avoid crowding. Crowded pans drop the oil temperature and produce steamed, greasy results. Fry for 2 to 3 minutes per side until the coating is deep golden brown and the edges show darker spots of caramelization. The cornmeal should look rough and craggy, not smooth. Listen for the sound: a steady sizzle means proper temperature. Adjust heat between batches to maintain 350°F.

7. 7

   Drain and season

   Transfer fried tomatoes to a clean wire rack set over a sheet pan. Never drain on paper towels. The trapped steam makes the bottom soggy within seconds. Season immediately with flaky sea salt while the oil is still clinging. Keep finished batches warm in a 200°F oven while you fry the rest, but don't hold them longer than 15 minutes. Fried food waits for no one.

8. 8

   Serve immediately

   Arrange the fried green tomatoes on a platter or individual plates. Serve the remoulade alongside in a bowl for dipping, or drizzle it across the top if you prefer. A final scatter of fresh parsley brightens the presentation. Serve hot, while the crust still shatters and the interior remains tart and barely warmed through. This is not a dish that reheats well. Make it, serve it, eat it.

Chef Tips

• •Seek out truly green tomatoes from farmers' markets in late summer, or ask your grocer for unripe stock. Supermarket 'green tomatoes' are often just underripe red varieties that lack the proper density and tartness. Heirloom green varieties like Aunt Ruby's German Green stay green when ripe but won't work here. You need hard, unripe fruit.
• •Peanut oil produces the cleanest flavor and handles high heat without smoking. Vegetable oil works fine. Avoid olive oil, which smokes at frying temperatures and imparts off-flavors.
• •A cast iron skillet holds temperature better than any other pan. When cold tomatoes hit the oil, cast iron recovers quickly. Thin pans cause temperature swings that ruin the crust.
• •Leftover remoulade transforms cold roast beef sandwiches, grilled shrimp, or crab cakes. Make extra. You'll find uses for it all week.

Advance Preparation

• •Remoulade should be made at least 30 minutes ahead and can be prepared up to 5 days in advance. Store covered in the refrigerator.
• •Tomatoes can be sliced, salted, and blotted up to 2 hours ahead. Store covered at room temperature.
• •The breading station can be set up 1 hour ahead, but don't bread the tomatoes until just before frying or the coating turns soggy.
• •Fried green tomatoes cannot be made ahead. They must be served within 15 minutes of leaving the oil.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 160g)