Sunday, August 16, 2009

Dim Sum Sunday - Child's Play

I have not been blessed with children. Unless you count the four legged furry ones and frankly their palates are rather undefined. So my dish this week comes straight from the heart of my own tender childhood. That uniquely Southern summer treat, Fried Green Tomatoes. Yes, this is one of those dishes that makes all the work in your backyard garden worth it.
Now I can hear you from here, that's not a green tomato. Technically, no, it's not. Still it's not a fully ripe one either. I've fried green tomatoes and I just don't like how they taste. A really firm green tomato just hasn't developed that uniquely tomato tang. I want the umami of an almost ripe tomato with the firmness of a still greenish tomato. Southern sacrilege? Perhaps but since it's my plate of goodness I'm trying to achieve why not let me worry about the tomato.The next thing you'll need (on this point I will not betray my Southern roots) is a well seasoned, bequeathed in the will to the envious consternation of your siblings, honest to goodness cast iron skillet. We're talking old enough to have fried your great great granddaddy's chicken in back in the day. People, if you want to get your Southern Culinary Freak on, this is what you need. Keeps your oil at a nice even temperature. To fry my tomatoes I use peanut oil because of the high smoke point. However. I drop in a couple of generous tablespoons from my ever present cache of bacon grease to mix with my peanut oil. Set the heat to high. Your tomato slices should be cut thin and even. They will fry much better with nice even slices.
Flour, cornmeal and salt are the only coating I need for my slices. Lots of other recipes call for either a buttermilk or egg wash but I think that's crazy. Tomatoes are already moist so any coating you put on is going to stick. Just like with my onion rings, I don't want to overly bread my tomatoes. Fry quickly at high heat, flipping once. Watch closely, burned tomatoes are not something many people enjoy.
This is something many people enjoy. Golden crispy coating on the outside, tangy juiciness on the inside with just a hint of bacon. Makes your tongue dance with savory flavors. The only other thing you might need is a big ole glass of icy cold sweet ice tea. Sometimes simple things are the best. At least that's what this kid believes.

12 comments:

MakingSpace said...

I've been waitin' all day for Dim!! Sum!! Sunday!!

Woot! Is it wrong that I'm just slightly more in love with your cast iron skillet than with your fried multi-colored tomatoes? This is not an objection to the tomatoes, no no. Just a considered appreciation of the virtues of a real honest to goodness well seasoned cast iron skillet.

Oh and - now I want sweet tea. Made in the scalding southern sun. Cry!

Big Shamu said...

Waiting all day? Not even get to taste. I feel bad because these tomatoes taste so good.
Good cast iron skillets are pieces of art.

MakingSpace said...

'salright. I have a rockin' cast iron skillet so I'm all good. LOL

Dani said...

Sham, I'm sorry I've got nothing tonight. We had Elizabeth and my niece make ice cream, but in the stress of trying to make it and get out the door to meet up with siblings something went wrong. I think maybe the ice should have been crushed more. It just never thickened. *sigh*...sorry.

Buzz Kill said...

Those tomatoes look real good. I just made my own version last week - from my memory of what my mother use to make during tomato season.

Being that I'm a northerner, I always use ripe, red tomatoes. I dip them in egg and then seasoned bread crumbs (I do it twice). then I fry up a pound of bacon and fry the tomatoes in the grease. And thats dinner - bacon and tomatoes. Alas I don't have a cast iron skillet, just good old teflon. But nobodys complained yet.

And I've got nothing to offer this week. We did the annual family canoe trip today and I was just too beat to cook.

Nice job and Happy DSS!

Big Shamu said...

Dani, you're fine, you've had a full week. Thanks for trying.

Buzz, you know I'm always up for baconization. Thanks for letting us drool.

Big Shamu said...

Make sure you check out 29 Black Street's wonderful Dim Sum Sunday Cherry Claflouti. Someone had a wonderful childhood to enjoy such lusciousness.

Dani said...

It has been a full week! I just wish my sister and her wife and my little niece didn't have to go back home to Conn. this morning. I already miss them!

LaDivaCucina said...

Sham, great photos as always, you never disappoint. I love the color of those 'maters against the counter top, great color. I also love the fact that you use corn meal for your fried green tomatoes. I only ate them once (at the local fair here) and tried cooking them once and DJ Nevah L8 was very non-plussed. But, you've got La Diva hankerin' to try making them again!

I'm up too: http://ladivacucina.blogspot.com/2009/08/dim-sum-sunday-childs-play-nana.html

Big Shamu said...

(Shamu runs right over to Diva's blog at just the slightest whiff of breakfast)

moi said...

Mmmmm . . . I think I'll be making plenty of these this fall, as I doubt that many of my tomatoes will fully ripen before frost sets in. Would it be sacrilege to bread 'em with Panko?

Big Shamu said...

You know Moi, I thought about experimenting with Panko but since these were the first of the season I made, I had to go old school. I certainly have enough Panko to give it try.