Jane, I use them all, from rock hard to pink shouldered and everything in between. I like the rock hard ones the best.

I dust the slices with flour seasoned with salt and pepper, then dunk into an egg wash, then cover with bread crumbs or more flour, your choice. Into a pan of hot grease and cook until they are brown and crispy. I don't like soggy FGT.

Sadly, my tomatoes are all gone, no more until next year. (sigh)

Annie

Love FGT!

Here is what I have settled on.

FRIED GREEN TOMATOES 6 cups canola oil, for frying
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
Kosher salt
Pinch paprika
Pinch cayenne pepper
2 medium green tomatoes
1 1/2 cups panko

In a large, deep, heavy pan, heat the oil to 350 degrees F.
In a medium bowl, whisk the flour and the milk together. Mix in the salt, black pepper, paprika, and cayenne.

Slice the tomatoes into 1/2-inch slices and blot with paper towel. Dip the tomato slices into the batter, making sure they are coated thoroughly. Cover both sides with panko.

Carefully add to the hot oil and fry in the oil until golden brown, about 3 to 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

I like mine much the same way as Annie describes, but with some cornmeal mixed with the flour. I like my tomatoes very green and hard...don't care for any pink on them if I can get them without it. And, I slice them as thin as possible because I like them a bit crispy. But, I really love FGTs, and rarely get them, so I'll eat them any way you want to cook them! Enjoy and let us know what you think.

Your tomatoes will ripen, just wrap in newspaper, put in a box in the basement and check once a week, tossing any that might not have made it, and use those that are ripe. You should have tomatoes until at least TG that way.

As to fried tomatoes--I can tell you my method, but there is one HUGE difference. I grew up having fried RIPE--the redder the better--tomatoes. Have never eaten a green one and cannot imagine they could in any way compare to fried ripe ones--they are SUCH a sweet delicious treat.

I dredge in seasoned flour, dip in egg/milk wash, then coat with panko and fry in about a quarter inch of safflower oil. Then you make a cream/tomato gravy to serve with them. YUM!

I do mine about like everybody else, slice season, flour, egg wash, and more flour. No corn meal or bread crumbs for me! Tomatoes must be totally green, not even pink, however if anyone I know or anyone on this forum wants to make me FGT I will sacrifice my high standards and eat everyone you make.
Can you tell this is one of my of my favorite foods and I have been on a VERY restrictive diet for several months and will still be on for several more!
Damn I'm ready for real food and a steak that's still quietly mooing!
Sorry did not mean to hijack this thread, I will now discipline my pushy tummy.

Red

Here you go Red. Enjoy.

Yes, you can have some of mine too:

I do have some sliced green tomatoes in the freezer, if you freeze them on a baking tray and then package into bags, they keep nicely. They don't get too mushy if you dip and fry them while still frozen, they'll fall apart if you try to thaw them, then fry.

Annie

Thanks everyone. Interesting. Flour only, flour and cornmeal; flour and bread crumbs, flour and panko, deep fried, shallow fried, thick sliced, thin sliced ...Good thing I have lots of green tomatoes! I also have lots of them ripening in newspaper or on the window sill. I think FGT will be on the brunch menu for Sunday. I will try and remember to take a picture.
Jane

WOW those look so good both Annie and mustangs.

Now you both have me wanting some.

Linda

Oh, those look so good!!!

Toby, be sure you let us know how you liked them.....especially since, as you know, I'm a fellow Canadian and have never had them either.

I did bring my last 2 tomatoes in, and they were green as green. I have them in front of the patio door on the floor to ripen. I have to pick them up from the kitchen, livingroom or wherever they happen to be. Apparently my cats think think they are toys. I see them playing with them.

Life got in the way of my brunch on Sunday, so we had the FGT with dinner last night. I used a little bit of flour, a little bit of cornstarch and some panko and shallow fried them. My daughter and I liked them, DH found them bland. I didn't serve them with any type of a sauce or dip, but that might have helped his opinion of them. I think they would be well suited to breakfast and will try them again alongside eggs and bacon.
Thanks for all the help.
Jane

Jane, it's funny you should say that. In my family FGT has always been breakfast food and no one else I know has ever said they had them for breakfast.

Elery does like his with hot sauce, maybe that would have been better for your DH.

Annie

Instead of breadcrumbs in the mixture, try cracker meal. Oh my stars! It is heavenly!

It does need some cornmeal to be true southern fried green tomatoes. Probably helps the flavor too.

Today I had a sliced red, ripe tomato from my yard with my tuna salad. But, I've got several green tomatoes out there too. Might have to make some FGT tonight for dinner.

What kind of sauce would be good? I've got some sour cream and mayo in the fridge. Should the sauce be hot, sweet, horseradish-y, what???

Oh, I think I just answered my own question - my copycat version of the Bang Bang Shrimp dip from Bonefish Grill!

Still, I'd like your opinion on sauce for FGT.

Teresa

Teresa, Good choice, Bang Bang Shrimp dip from Bonefish Grill is what I serve.

Annie, Around here FGT are an appetizer.

Here is a link that might be useful: Leeroy Selmon's For Example

Well, I made fried green tomatoes tonight for my dinner and I have to say they turned out pretty good! I know this is the first time I've made them and it may be the first time I've ever eaten them. Yeah.....weird for a southern gal, right?

What I did:

sliced the tomatoes about 1/4" thick, put them in a beaten egg bath, dredged them through equal parts of cornbread mix and self-rising flour seasoned with some salt and pepper

pan fried in olive oil until browned on both sides

served with the Bang Bang Shrimp sauce:
1/2 cup mayo
3 TB sweet chile sauce
1 TB sriracha hot sauce
2 t. rice vinegar

Watch out, these 'maters stay very hot a long time after cooking! I tried to eat/dip them with my fingers but stopped that after the first one.

Teresa

Teresa, that looks good!

Teresa, that does look good. I usually eat mine with a much milder sauce made of homemade yogurt, honey and mustard.

It's all good, though, and Elery would love that sauce, so I'm saving it. Thanks.

Annie