As a professional food writer, I’ve sampled fried green tomatoes in countless forms: topped with lump crab, slathered in remoulade, doused in bacon jam—you name it. And yet, none have ever come close to rivaling my mom’s. Turns out, the secret sauce isn’t in fancy toppings or elaborate, well, sauces; it’s in the old Southern adage that consistently rings true in my life and in her kitchen: less is more. Her fried green tomatoes rely on just three things: quality produce, simple flavors, and a little love (aka vegetable oil).
Over the years, she’s become a neighborhood celebrity and a family legend, appearing at front doors with a covered plate of just-out-of-the-grease green tomatoes that mean she truly loves you (she has the burn scars to prove it—invest in a splatter screen).
Here’s how she makes a Southern delicacy with just three ingredients.
Fried Green Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 1 cup Cornmeal
- 1 cup Buttermilk
- 2 Green tomatoes Turning slightly orange
- Oil Canola or vegetable, enough to reach halfway up the sliced tomatoes
Instructions
- Slice the green tomato to your preferred thickness. I like mine about the size of an Oreo cookie.
- Drench the slices in buttermilk.
- Dredge each slice in cornmeal, lightly pressing so it sticks. Add salt and pepper if desired, though mom doesn't do it.
- Heat oil in a skillet, enough to reach halfway up the tomato slices. Fry the tomatoes until the edges begin to brown, about a few minutes per side, flipping once.
- Remove and allow to drain on a tray lined with paper towels. Serve immediately.
