Fried Green Tomato BLT’s

Fried Green Tomato BLT’s…YES PLEASE!!! There could not be a more delicious sandwich to have on a hot summer night!

Green tomatoes are a staple in the south, but we don’t see them here in the north very often. In fact, I have to ask my local farmer to go and get them from his private stash! So what exactly is a green tomato? Well, simply put, they are just under ripe tomatoes. If you have had tomato plants in your garden, you may have have felt one while it was still green. They are kind of hard, not real juicy and you probably never even thought of picking one much less tasting one. But they lend themselves to so many wonderful dishes.

If you have not tried a green tomato, I highly recommend you do and the best way to start is to fry them up for a BLT! The crunchy cornmeal crust topped with salty crispy bacon, fresh lettuce and a spicy mayo on a butter grilled brioche roll is the bomb! This is the one sandwich I count down the months to, Why? Like all great seasonal produce, green tomato season is too short.

The Method of Fried Green Tomato BLT’s

ingredients:

• green tomatoes
• buttermilk
• flour
• kosher salt
• fresh ground pepper
• garlic powder
• paprika
• cornmeal fish fry breading
• vegetable oil
• bacon
• butter lettuce
• brioche rolls
• butter
• mayonnaise
• sambal oelek

basic directions:

To make fried green tomato blt’s, first soak the tomatoes in buttermilk. While the tomatoes soak up the buttermilk, cook the bacon.

Next, set up a dredging station. Mix the flour, salt, pepper, paprika and garlic powder in one dish and place the cornmeal breading in another. Grab a tomato, shake off the excess buttermilk, dredge through the flour mixture, back into the buttermilk, then into the cornmeal. Place on a sheet pan with a wire tray.

Pour enough oil in a cast iron skillet to fill about 1/4 inch from the bottom. Cook in batches so as to not overcrowd. When the edge starts to turn golden brown, flip the tomato and brown the second side. Remove to a wire rack and season with salt.

Mix the mayo with the Sambal to create a spicy spread. Spread butter on the insides of the rolls. Place face down on a cast iron flat griddle and cook until toasty brown. Spread the may on the top of the bun. Place a green tomato on the bottom bun, followed by the bacon and lettuce. Top with the lid of the bun.

Cook’s Notes:

tips for success:

Slice the tomatoes to 1/4 in thickness. Too thin and they will melt in the oil.

Soak the tomatoes for an extended length of time for tenderness and tang.

Heat the oil before putting the tomatoes in otherwise the breading will be soggy. You can test it by throwing in a small bit of breading. If it bubbles up, it is ready!

Drain on a wire rack on a sheet pan.

recipe variations:

You can replace the Butter Lettuce with any fresh crispy lettuce.

Instead of a brioche roll, go with the traditional toast!

Using plain mayo would be perfectly fine instead of the spicy mayo mixture.

Peppered bacon or a maple glazed bacon would be a delicious alternative to plain bacon.

Try adding your favorite cheese!

serving suggestions:

My personal favorite is a heaping side of crispy air fryer beer battered french fries, but I think onion rings would be awesome too!

A salad like my Summertime Cossack Salad would be a nice refreshing side also!

The Essentials:

If you make these Fried Green Tomato BLT’s and love them, I would love if you come back and comment and leave a 5 star rating!