Fried Green Tomato BLT

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •12-inch cast iron skillet or heavy-bottomed frying pan
• •Instant-read thermometer
• •Wire cooling rack
• •Slotted spatula or spider strainer

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the herb mayo

   Stir together the mayonnaise, chives, dill, mustard, black pepper, and grated garlic in a small bowl. Taste it. Adjust the salt if needed. Cover and refrigerate while you prepare everything else. The flavors will marry and deepen as it sits.

   This herb mayo keeps refrigerated for a week. Make extra. You'll find yourself spreading it on everything from roast beef sandwiches to grilled chicken.
2. 2

   Cook the bacon

   Arrange bacon slices in a single layer in a large cold skillet. Starting in a cold pan renders the fat slowly, producing bacon that's evenly crisp without burnt edges. Set over medium heat and cook, flipping occasionally, until deep mahogany and shatteringly crisp, about 12 to 15 minutes. The bacon should hold its shape when you pick it up. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and tent loosely with foil.

   Save that rendered bacon fat in a jar. Strain it through a fine mesh strainer and refrigerate. Use it to start your next batch of fried green tomatoes for even deeper flavor.
3. 3

   Slice and soak the tomatoes

   Slice the green tomatoes into rounds about 1/3 inch thick. You want eight to twelve good slices, depending on tomato size. Place them in a shallow dish and pour the buttermilk over. Let them soak while you prepare the breading. The buttermilk tenderizes the exterior and helps the coating adhere. Flip them once after five minutes.

4. 4

   Prepare the breading station

   Whisk together the flour, cornmeal, cayenne, salt, and black pepper in a wide shallow bowl. The cornmeal provides that essential crunch, the flour binds everything together, and the cayenne adds warmth without aggression. Set a wire rack over a baking sheet nearby for landing the coated slices.

5. 5

   Bread the tomatoes

   Working with one slice at a time, lift a tomato from the buttermilk, let excess drip off for a moment, then dredge thoroughly in the cornmeal mixture, pressing gently to adhere. Flip and coat the other side. Transfer to the wire rack. Repeat with remaining slices. Let them rest five minutes before frying. This brief rest sets the coating and prevents it from sliding off in the oil.

   Use one hand for wet work and one for dry. This prevents your fingers from becoming breaded along with the tomatoes.
6. 6

   Heat the oil

   Pour oil into a large cast iron or heavy-bottomed skillet to a depth of about one inch. Heat over medium-high until the oil reaches 350°F on an instant-read thermometer. If you lack a thermometer, drop a small pinch of the breading mixture into the oil. It should sizzle immediately and float, bubbling actively. The oil should shimmer but not smoke.

7. 7

   Fry until golden

   Carefully lower three or four breaded tomato slices into the hot oil. Do not crowd the pan. Overcrowding drops the oil temperature and produces soggy, greasy tomatoes instead of crisp ones. Fry until the bottom turns deep golden brown, about 2 minutes. Flip gently with a slotted spatula and fry the second side another 2 minutes. The coating should be the color of honey, audibly crackling when you lift it from the oil.

   Keep your oil temperature steady. Adjust the heat between batches. Too hot burns the coating before the tomato warms through. Too cool produces grease-soaked disappointment.
8. 8

   Drain and season

   Transfer fried tomatoes to a clean wire rack set over a baking sheet. Season immediately with a light shower of kosher salt while the oil still glistens on the surface. Repeat with remaining tomato slices, allowing oil to return to temperature between batches. Keep finished tomatoes warm in a 200°F oven if needed.

9. 9

   Toast the bread

   Toast your bread slices until golden on both sides. The bread must be sturdy enough to support the layered fillings without becoming soggy. Sourdough and brioche both work beautifully. Plain white sandwich bread will do if it's of decent quality, but avoid anything too soft or thin. The bread is the architecture that holds everything together.

10. 10

    Assemble the sandwiches

    Spread herb mayo generously on both slices of toasted bread. On the bottom slice, layer two leaves of crisp lettuce. Stack two or three fried green tomato slices on the lettuce. Arrange three slices of bacon on top of the tomatoes. Add the top slice of bread, press gently to compress, and slice diagonally. Serve immediately. A fried green tomato BLT waits for no one.

    The lettuce goes on the bottom for a reason. It creates a moisture barrier between the mayo and the hot tomatoes, preventing the bread from going soggy.

Chef Tips

• •Select green tomatoes that are completely unripe, firm as apples, with no blush of pink. Once a tomato starts ripening, its texture changes and it won't hold up to frying. Farmers markets in late summer often sell them specifically for this purpose.
• •The ratio of filling to bread matters. Each sandwich should require two hands and a certain commitment. If you can eat it daintily, you haven't built it properly.
• •For transporting to a potluck, pack components separately: fried tomatoes in a container lined with paper towels, bacon in foil, bread wrapped in cloth, mayo in a jar, and lettuce in a damp paper towel. Assemble on site. A soggy sandwich is a crime against hospitality.
• •This sandwich pairs beautifully with an ice-cold sweet tea or a crisp lager. Something clean that cuts through the richness.
• •For a spicier version worthy of Louisiana, add a tablespoon of hot sauce to your herb mayo and a pinch more cayenne to the breading.

Advance Preparation

• •The herb mayo can be made up to one week ahead and refrigerated. Its flavor improves after a day.
• •Bacon can be cooked up to two hours ahead and kept at room temperature, or one day ahead and refrigerated. Reheat briefly in a 375°F oven to restore crispness.
• •Green tomatoes can be breaded up to 30 minutes before frying, kept on a wire rack at room temperature. Do not refrigerate once breaded or the coating will become gummy.
• •Fried green tomatoes cannot be made ahead. They must be fried and assembled within minutes. This is the one component that demands your full attention at serving time.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 sandwich (about 330g)