Fried Green Tomatoes with Dipping Sauce

4 ? 6 Servings
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Ingredients

For the dipping sauce:

  • 1 1/4 cups mayonnaise
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped chives
  • 1 tablespoon lemon pepper
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon Creole seasoning

For the tomatoes:

  • 4 green tomatoes
  • Creole seasoning, to taste
  • 2 eggs
  • A pinch of freshly ground pepper
  • 4 cups seasoned or unseasoned panko bread crumbs
  • 3 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper
  • 1/2 cup or more vegetable oil, for frying

Directions

  1. Make the dipping sauce by whisking together all ingredients in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate.
  2. Use a Trimmer to slice off the ends and core the tomatoes. Slice them into quarter-inch rounds and dry between several layers of paper towels to get rid of the excess moisture. Sprinkle both side lightly with Creole seasoning.
  3. Whisk the eggs and a pinch of black pepper together in a shallow bowl and set aside. In a separate bowl, combine the bread crumbs, salt, cayenne pepper and black pepper. Mix well. Dip the tomato slices in the egg mixture and then into the crumb mixture. Press to coat on both sides and around the edges. Place the coated pieces on a wire rack set over a baking sheet and refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow the crumbs to set.
  4. In a heavy 12″ skillet over medium heat, heat the vegetable oil. When the oil is hot, slide a few tomatoes into the pan. Do not crowd. Cook 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until brown. Remove and drain on paper towels. If necessary, add more oil to the pan and allow it to get hot before adding more tomatoes.
  5. To serve, arrange tomatoes on a serving platter and set a small bowl of the dipping sauce in the middle.

Alternate serving suggestion:

Place a slice of thick cut bread on a plate; layer with the dipping sauce, lettuce, 2 slices of crisp fried bacon and 2 fried tomatoes. Drizzle with a little more sauce and sprinkle with chives.