Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 2 medium-sized green tomatoes
- 3/4 cup whole buttermilk
- 1/4 cup brine from quality kosher dill pickles with garlic – NOT pickles preserved in vinegar (TFD optional change, replace with buttermilk for classic recipe)
- 3 dashes Tabasco sauce
- ***
- Seasoned Flour Dredge:
- 3/8 cup all-purpose flour – TFD prefers Cairnspring organic Edison T85 flour
- 1/8 cup rice flour (TFD optional ingredient, replace with Cairnspring Edison T85 flour for classic recipe)
- 1/2 cup fine self-rising yellow cornmeal
- 2 1/2 tsp. Lawry’s Seasoning salt (strongly preferred) or just use kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp. freshly-ground black pepper
- 1 tsp. Burlap & Barrel smoked Spanish paprika
- 3/4 tsp. Burlap & Barrel purple stripe granulated garlic powder
- 1 1/2 tsp. Burlap & Barrel dried ramps and purée to a powder in the spice blender – this is TFD’s preference (if not available, instead use toasted granulated onion powder from Burlap & Barrel)
- ***
- Optional But Recommended Dredge Seasonings:
- 2 tsp. Burlap & Barrel sun-dried tomato powder (HIGHLY optional TFD addition to recipe, omit if you prefer)
- 1 tsp. Burlap & Barrel powdered flowering hyssop thyme (optional TFD ingredient, omit for classic recipe)
- 2 tsp. freshly-ground dill seed (HIGHLY optional TFD addition, but it makes the flavor profile classically Jewish – omit for standard recipe)
- 3/4 tsp. freshly-ground Indian coriander seeds (optional TFD addition to the recipe, omit for classic recipe)
- ***
- For Frying:
- 1/4 cup rendered chicken fat (HIGHLY optional TFD change to original recipe but strongly recommended – can replace with corn oil or for true Southerners, use bacon grease – but it’s obviously no longer “shtetl-style” if you do that)
- 1/8 cup corn oil, plus more if needed
- ***
- Hirshon Comeback sauce for dipping
Instructions
- Slice the tomatoes about ¼″ thick. Sprinkle with kosher salt and an equal amount of sugar, and allow to sit for about 5 minutes in a bowl – drain and remove liquid.
- Arrange drained tomatoes in a single layer on doubled paper towels. Gently press another paper towel on top. Let rest for 10 minutes.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, dill pickle brine and Tabasco until well blended.
- Place blotted tomato slices into Tabasco buttermilk; set aside. Combine flours, self-raising cornmeal, salt, pepper and seasoning herbs/spices in a small brown paper bag; set aside.
- Meanwhile, remove 3 or 4 tomato slices from the buttermilk, letting excess drip off; add to flour mixture in paper bag. Close bag, and shake gently until tomato slices are well coated. Put tomatoes on a wire grate.
- After 5 minutes or so, the tomatoes with begin to soak up some of the dredge mixture. Once this happens, dredge the tomatoes through the flour mixture a second time, shaking off the excess. This will help the tomatoes obtain an even, crispy outer layer. Place double-dredged tomato slices on wire grate.
- Repeat with the remaining tomato slices.
- Heat the corn oil, chicken fat or bacon grease (if using) in a heavy 12″ cast iron skillet over medium-high heat to 350 F. Shallow-fry the tomato slices, in batches if necessary, for 3 to 5 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Remove the cooked tomato slices to a doubled-up paper towel to drain.
- Serve with Tabasco and lemon wedges, if desired, plus comeback sauce.
