Fried Ripe Tomatoes
Fried tomatoes are an easy-to-make, late summer treat that couldn’t be more delicious. We always choose tomatoes that are ripe but still firm and coat them in a combination of lightly seasoned cornmeal and flour. Then they’re shallow-fried until the coating is golden brown and the tomatoes are softened beneath the crispy crust.
Fried Ripe Tomatoes
Yield:
4 to 6 servings
Prep Time:
15 minutes
Cook Time:
20 minutes
Total Time:
35 minutes
Ripe tomatoes coated with seasoned flour and cornmeal and shallow fried until lightly crisped are a fabulous way to use fresh, in-season tomatoes.
Ingredients
- 6 large, firm, ripe tomatoes
- 1-1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°F and line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil.
- Core the tomatoes and slice them into 3/8-inch thick slices.
- Mix the flour, cornmeal, salt and pepper in a shallow dish. Heat about 1/4-inch of vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-high heat (360 to 375°F).
- Working in batches, dredge the tomato slices in the flour-cornmeal mixture and add them to the hot oil. Fry until the coating is crisp and golden, 1 to 1-1/2 minutes per side (see recipe notes). Don't overcrowd the pan.
- Transfer the tomatoes to a paper towel-lined plate to absorb any excess oil, then move to the prepared baking sheet and place them in the oven to keep warm while you fry the remaining tomatoes.
- Wipe the browned bits from the pan, add more oil and repeat with the remaining tomato slices.
- For best results, be sure to keep close watch while you fry the tomatoes - you want to create a crispy coating, not cook the tomatoes to mush.
- Also, once cooked, try to keep the tomatoes in a single layer. If you stack them, the residual heat will create steam and make them mushy.
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3 Comments on “Fried Ripe Tomatoes”
I tried them tonight and they are delicious. I coated them with flour,
salt & pepper, dipped them in egg wash, then in bread crumbs.
Makes a crunchy crust!
Add 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese to the flour/corn meal mixture for a pleasant change
That sounds like a good idea – you can never go wrong with parmesan for added flavor and texture/