Fried Green Tomatoes

This side dish is on the menu in one of my favorite East Coast spots - Lambertville, NJ. Jim Hamilton's great restaurant, Hamilton's Grill Room is in a picturesque canal-side courtyard, and you can have a cocktail at the neighboring Boat House before dinner.

Here's my version of the classic Southern dish.

Ingredients

1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
3 firm, large green tomatoes, cut into slices 1/3 inch thick
vegetable oil
salt

Method 

Beat egg gently with buttermilk. Mix half the flour with the cornmeal, a scant teaspoon of salt and the pepper in a shallow bowl. Dredge the tomato slices in the remaining 1/4 cup of flour. Dip them into the egg mixture, then the cornmeal mixture.

Heat oil (or oil mixed with rendered bacon fat) to a depth of 1/2 inch in a large cast-iron skillet. Test the temperature with a teaspoon of cornmeal-egg mixture. It should sizzle but not turn brown too quickly. Drop tomatoes, in batches, into the hot oil, and cook 2 minutes on each side or until golden. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with salt immediately.