Cornmeal-Crusted Fried Green Tomatoes with Creole Remoulade

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Thick coins of green tomato are salted until they firm up and lose their raw edge, then fried in a gritty cornmeal crust until the shell shatters and the inside goes juicy-tart. A punchy Creole remoulade and a few drops of balsamic reduction finish them the way a Louisiana seafood house would — bright, tangy, and gone in five minutes. Inspired by the roadside fish-camp appetizer served along the Manchac swamp.

Ingredients

• 3 large firm green tomatoes (about 1 1/2 lb)
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt, for salting the slices

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup medium-grind yellow cornmeal
• 1 tsp sweet paprika
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 3/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp hot sauce, preferably Louisiana-style
• 3 cups peanut or vegetable oil, for frying

• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp Creole or whole-grain mustard
• 1 tbsp ketchup
• 1 tbsp dill pickle relish or minced cornichons
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 scallion, thinly sliced
• 1 small clove garlic, grated
• 1 tsp prepared horseradish
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/4 tsp hot sauce, or more to taste

• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp honey
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• Flaky sea salt

Instructions

1. Core the tomatoes and slice them 1/3 inch thick, discarding the very ends. Lay the slices on a wire rack set over a sheet pan and sprinkle both sides evenly with the 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt. Let them sit 25 to 30 minutes — beads of liquid will surface and the slices will firm up noticeably.
2. While the tomatoes drain, make the remoulade: whisk the mayonnaise, Creole mustard, ketchup, relish, lemon juice, scallion, garlic, horseradish, smoked paprika, and hot sauce in a small bowl. Taste and adjust with more hot sauce or lemon, then refrigerate until serving.
3. Make the balsamic drizzle: simmer the balsamic vinegar and honey in a small saucepan over medium heat, swirling occasionally, for 6 to 8 minutes, until reduced to about 3 tablespoons and thick enough to coat a spoon. Pull it off the heat before it turns tarry; it thickens more as it cools.
4. Set up the dredge in three shallow dishes: flour in the first; buttermilk whisked with the egg and 1 tsp hot sauce in the second; cornmeal, paprika, garlic powder, cayenne, 3/4 tsp salt, and black pepper stirred together in the third.
5. Blot the tomato slices firmly with paper towels on both sides — dry surfaces are what keep the crust attached. Working one slice at a time, coat in flour and shake off the excess, dip in the buttermilk mixture and let the drips fall away, then press into the cornmeal mixture, packing it on both sides. Return the breaded slices to the rack and let them rest 10 minutes so the coating sets.
6. Pour oil into a 12-inch cast-iron or heavy skillet to a depth of 1/2 inch and heat over medium-high to 360°F (a pinch of cornmeal should sizzle briskly). Set a clean rack over a sheet pan nearby and heat the oven to 200°F if you want to hold batches.
7. Fry the tomatoes in batches of 4 or 5, never crowding the pan, for 2 to 3 minutes per side, until the crust is deep golden and crackly. Flip once with a thin spatula. Adjust the heat to keep the oil between 340°F and 365°F between batches.
8. Drain the fried slices on the rack (not on paper towels, which steam the bottoms) and season immediately with a pinch of flaky sea salt. Hold finished batches in the 200°F oven for up to 20 minutes.
9. Spread a wide spoonful of remoulade on a platter or spoon it into a small bowl. Pile the tomatoes on, drizzle with the balsamic reduction, scatter with parsley, and serve hot with extra remoulade alongside.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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