Chef Johns Tomato And Dirt Salad Food

CHEF JOHN'S PANZANELLA

Steps:

• Pour bread into a large skillet and drizzle with 1/4 cup olive oil, working in batches if necessary. Cook and stir bread over medium heat, adding more oil as needed, until bread cubes are golden and crispy on the outside, 7 to 12 minutes.
• Sprinkle Parmigiano-Reggiano over the top of the bread cubes; cook and stir until cheese is melted onto bread, and bread is crispy on the outside but still chewy on the inside, 3 to 4 minutes more. Cool completely.
• Combine tomatoes, red wine vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, garlic, sugar, salt, and black pepper together in a bowl until well-mixed. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature until flavors combine, about 20 minutes.
• Toss basil into tomato mixture; add bread cubes and stir. Let salad sit at room temperature 3 to 4 minutes; if the liquid is completely absorbed, add more vinegar and extra virgin olive oil to taste. Season with salt and black pepper.

CHEF JOHN'S TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• Place olive oil, onion, celery, and a pinch of salt into a large heavy saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Cook until onions are very soft, about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Mix garlic into onion mixture and cook just until fragrant, about 1 more minute.
• Pour tomatoes and their juice into a large mixing bowl and use your hands to crush the tomatoes until they look pureed.
• Mix sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, anchovy paste, white wine vinegar, Italian herbs, and red pepper flakes into vegetable mixture. Raise heat to medium and cook just until liquid has evaporated. Stir in tomato paste and bring to a simmer. Pour in San Marzano tomatoes and parsley. Bring sauce to a simmer, turn heat to low, and simmer for 1 1/2 hours, adding a little water as the sauce cooks down. Stir occasionally.

CHEF JOHN'S FRIED GREEN TOMATOES

Steps:

• Place tomato slices onto a rack over a paper towel. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and let slices stand for 15 minutes for the salt to draw out extra juices.
• Mix cornmeal and bread crumbs together in a bowl; stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper to taste. Beat eggs with milk in a separate bowl. Place flour into a third bowl.
• Pat tomato slices dry with paper towels. Lay slices, one at a time, into flour; flip to coat both sides and let slices rest in the flour for about 30 seconds. Remove each slice and dip in egg mixture, then into cornmeal mixture, coating both sides of each slice thoroughly. Spread crumbs onto all sides and into tomato crevices with a fork. Rest tomatoes on rack for 10 minutes to let coating set.
• Combine sweet pickle relish, mayonnaise, and hot sauce in a small bowl to make the remoulade sauce.
• Place a large nonstick skillet over medium heat; heat vegetable oil with butter until butter melts, bubbles, and makes a sizzling sound. Fry tomatoes in the hot butter-oil mixture until tomato slices are slightly soft and coating is golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Use a spatula and a fork to flip.
• Transfer fried green tomatoes to a serving platter and serve with remoulade sauce.