Crispy Fried Green Tomatoes with Comeback Sauce

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Firm green tomatoes get a buttermilk soak and a crunchy cornmeal crust, then fry up golden in about five minutes a batch. The tangy, slightly spicy comeback sauce takes one bowl and a whisk. It's a classic Southern plate that works as a snack, a starter, or a side with anything off the grill.

Ingredients

• 3 firm green tomatoes (about 1 1/4 lb)
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp Cajun seasoning
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 6 cups vegetable oil, for frying

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp ketchup
• 2 tsp hot sauce
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder

Instructions

1. Slice the green tomatoes into 1/4-inch rounds, discarding the very ends. Lay them on paper towels, sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of the kosher salt, and let sit 10 minutes, then blot both sides dry.
2. Whisk the mayonnaise, ketchup, hot sauce, and garlic powder together in a small bowl until smooth. Refrigerate until serving.
3. Set up two shallow dishes: whisk the buttermilk and egg together in one; stir the cornmeal, flour, Cajun seasoning, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt together in the other.
4. Pour the oil into a heavy Dutch oven or deep pot to a depth of about 1 1/2 inches, filling the pot no more than halfway. Clip on a thermometer and heat over medium until the oil reads 350°F (175°C). Safety note: never leave hot oil unattended, keep children, pets, and any water well away, and have a pot lid nearby to smother a flare-up. Never use water on an oil fire.
5. Working with a few slices at a time, dip each tomato round in the buttermilk mixture, let the excess drip off, then press firmly into the cornmeal mixture to coat both sides. Set the coated slices on a plate.
6. Fry in batches of 4 to 5 slices, never crowding the pot, for 2 to 3 minutes per side, until deep golden and crisp. Lift out with a spider or slotted spoon onto a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Let the oil return to 350°F between batches.
7. Sprinkle the hot tomatoes with a pinch of salt and serve right away with the comeback sauce for dipping.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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