I’ve also never been much of a summer person, but making the most of the farmer’s market bounty (paired with staying inside with my air conditioner) After spotting some particularly plump green tomatoes one summer day, I excitedly decided to give this southern classic a go for the first time. And, I combined that first with another first: filming my first recipe video tutorial. Two firsts + one very jittery chef + two and a half glasses of wine yielded this better-than-I-expected product:
This was the first project that I tackled for Kiyafries because I knew I wanted to involve lots of video work with the site. The experience was at the same time incredibly difficult, fun (in a enjoying-the-challenge kind of way), and comical, because the key to trying new things is laughing at yourself. But, the best part BY FAR was eating those tasty treasures, because holy crap they were amazing.
Here are a few highlights of my video-making experience that you might enjoy:
- Choosing to film a dish I’d never made before was pretty reckless. And come to think of it, about half the videos I’ve made since then have featured dishes I’ve never made before. I guess I like living on the edge! I was super fortunate that the tomatoes came out so well, and pretty much everything went off without a hitch. I’ve had more trouble cooking things I’ve made 100 times without a camera. I think the spirit of Idgie Threadgoode must’ve been in the kitchen with me.
- I dirtied every bowl I own during the filming, and now that I’ve done more videos I’ve realized it’s the norm. I’ve learned to fill the dishwasher (and my wine glass) as I go.
- There were a few unexpected detours, like pausing mid-production to cover up my very old and unattractive drip pans with foil. And at least a few regrets, like not getting a some alternate angles and takes, and not manicuring my nails beforehand (whoops! Don’t go back and look at my nails. I SAID DON’T DO IT.)
- There were also unexpected road blocks post-production. Firstly, I forgot to set my white balance before filming, so I had to try to fix it in Final Cut after the fact… which kind of worked? Also, enjoy the part of the video where I hit the tripod with my arm and the camera wobbles.
- Making a video by yourself is hard! There are so many roles to fill. Creative director, food stylist, camera operator, and chef. Not to mention keeping track of continuity, which is probably the toughest part of all.
Okay so let’s get to the good part- the recipe for Fried Green Tomatoesssss!
Fried Green Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup flour
- 2 tsp salt divided
- 2 eggs beaten
- 3/4 cup cornmeal
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/8 tsp smoked paprika
- a few cracks black pepper
- 3 green tomatoes sliced ¼” thick
- high smoke point oil such as canola or vegetable
- thermometer (frying, instant read, or infrared)
- a wire rack for cooling
Instructions
- To prepare your dredging station you will need three dishes or bowls: In the first dish, whisk together the flour and 1 tsp of the salt. In the second dish, beat the eggs for 1 minute until well combined and slightly lightened in color. In the third dish, whisk together the remaining 1 tsp salt, cornmeal, sugar, garlic powder, dried thyme, dried oregano, smoked paprika, and black pepper.
- Dredge each tomato slice in the flour mixture, completely coating the surface and knocking off the excess (too much flour will cause the egg to slide off.) Dip in the egg, then press into the cornmeal mixture to coat well.
- Heat ¼” of oil in a heavy bottomed pan (I use my cast iron skillet) to 385F over medium-high heat. Fry the tomatoes in batches (2-3 slices at a time) about 4 minutes per side, or until golden brown and crispy. Drain on a wire rack and enjoy hot with goat cheese or remoulade!
