Fried Green Tomato Stacks Food

AIR-FRYER GREEN TOMATO STACKS

Steps:

• Preheat air fryer to 375°. Mix mayonnaise, lime zest and juice, thyme and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; refrigerate until serving. Place flour in a shallow bowl; place egg whites in a separate shallow bowl. In a third bowl, mix cornmeal, salt and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper., Cut each tomato crosswise into 4 slices. Lightly coat each slice in flour; shake off excess. Dip in egg whites, then in cornmeal mixture., In batches, place tomatoes on greased tray in air-fryer basket; spritz with cooking spray. Cook until golden brown, 4-6 minutes. Turn; spritz with cooking spray. Cook until golden brown, 4-6 minutes longer., For each serving, stack 1 slice each green tomato, bacon and red tomato. Serve with sauce.

FRIED GREEN TOMATO STACK WITH KENTUCKY TOMME ON A FRESH TOMATO CONCASSE, TOPPED WITH BABY ARUGULA, GARNISHED WITH NASTURTIUM FLOWERS

Steps:

• Tomato Concasse:
• Blanch tomatoes briefly in boiling water to loosen the skins, then peel, seed and juice them. Dice the tomato flesh. Add chives, salt, and white pepper.
• Fried Green Tomatoes:
• Tomatoes that are showing a little pink coloration amid the green, as they just begin to turn red, are thought to have the best flavor. Slice them, skin on, so that you have 3 (1/4-inch) slices from each. Sprinkle the slices with a mixture of kosher salt, sugar, and black pepper.
• For the coating, mix together the best stone-ground white cornmeal you can find (Weisenberger Mills cornmeal is excellent), and flour. Dip the seasoned tomato slices in the cornmeal mixture.
• Film a heavy skillet (in Kentucky, a black cast iron skillet is favored) with a generous amount of bacon fat. (Have more bacon fat ready to add to the skillet if the tomatoes absorb too much. If you've dietary qualms about this, use half bacon fat and half canola oil. For the saute, any kind of fat or oil will do, but the bacon clearly gives the best and most authentic taste.) Heat the oil until fairly hot, but not quite smoking. Fry the coated tomatoes approximately 2 to 3 minutes on each side, being sure not to crowd the skillet. Drain the slices on paper towels, and keep warm in a very low oven.
• To assemble:
• Slice cheese into very thin slices.
• Make sure the fried green tomatoes are still very warm (you may want to slightly increase the oven temperature at the last minute to make sure). On each of 4 warmed plates, spoon out a thin layer of the tomato concasse in a circle that will extend beyond the tomato stack. Place a tomato slice on each plate, and cover (overlapping just a bit) with the thin cheese slices; place another tomato slice on each, and repeat the cheese placement; top each with the remaining slices. Do this as quickly as you can so that the cheese melts just slightly (you may place the plates briefly back in the oven to do this, but guard against the tomato crusts becoming soggy).
• When ready to serve, top each stack with micro-greens (we like baby arugula for this extra taste treat), and garnish the plates with nasturtium flowers, adding the piquant taste of watercress to the dish. (If you don't have nasturtium flowers, you might dot the plate with droplets of reduced balsamic vinegar.) Serve at once.

FRIED GREEN TOMATO SANDWICH

Steps:

• Preheat a deep fryer with canola oil to 375 degrees F. You can also use a cast-iron skillet filled halfway with canola oil.
• In a skillet set over medium heat, cook the bacon until crispy, about 10 minutes.
• In a shallow dish, add the flour and season with some salt and pepper. In a second shallow dish, add the eggs and lightly beat. Dredge the tomato slices in the flour then in the eggs and again in the flour.
• Fry the battered green tomato slices until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes.
• In a large skillet set over medium heat, add a tablespoon of the canola oil. Add the fried green tomatoes to the skillet, stacked 2 high. Cover the stack with 2 pieces of the cheese and let melt, about a minute. Repeat with the remaining stacks of tomatoes and cheese, adding another tablespoon of oil halfway through.
• Spread some mayonnaise onto both sides of a bun and layer with a stack of fried green tomatoes covered with melted cheese, 2 slices of crispy bacon, lettuce and top with top of the bun. Repeat for the remaining buns and tomato stacks, and then serve hot.