Southern Fried Blt Food

FRIED GREEN TOMATO BLT WITH REMOULADE SAUCE

Steps:

• Whisk together the flour and water in a shallow bowl until smooth. Season with hot sauce, salt, and pepper. Spread the cornmeal onto a plate and season with salt and pepper.
• Pat the tomatoes dry with paper towels. Heat 1-inch of oil in a cast-iron pan over medium-high heat until it begins to shimmer. Season the tomatoes on both sides with salt and pepper. Dip each tomato into the batter and let the excess drip off. Dredge in the cornmeal and pat off the excess. Fry the tomatoes, in batches, until golden brown on both sides.
• Spread both sides of the bread with some of the Remoulade Sauce. Top 1 side with a few slices of tomatoes, a few strips of bacon, and some watercress. Top with the other slice of bread, sauce-side down. Repeat to make 4 sandwiches.
• Whisk together the yolks, lemon juice, vinegar until pale. Slowly drizzle in the canola oil until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper. Whisk in the mustard, cornichons, thyme, and season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving to allow the flavors to meld.
• *RAW EGG WARNING
• Food Network Kitchens suggest caution in consuming raw and lightly-cooked eggs due to the risk of Salmonella or other food-borne illness. To reduce this risk, we recommend you use only fresh, properly-refrigerated, clean, grade A or AA eggs with intact shells, and avoid contact between the yolks or whites and the shell. For recipes that call for eggs that are raw or undercooked when the dish is served use shell eggs that have been treated to destroy Salmonella, by pasteurization or another approved method.

FRIED GREEN TOMATO BLT

Steps:

• The month of August as a kid meant three things to me: my summer vacation was about to come to a halt, my birthday was only a month away, and my family would venture out to North Carolina to visit my grandparents on their farm. Whenever we would get to the farm in the mid-afternoon my grandmother would have a platter of deviled eggs, pimento cheese with soda crackers, and BLT's with the summer's best tomatoes on the simple sandwich. Since those days past, the simple BLT sandwich has always been a source of comfort to me. When I had the opportunity to run a kitchen and bring out these same memories of comfort through food to my guests, but with a twist, I couldn't pass it up. This is where the Green Tomato BLT came from.
• For the remoulade: Whisk the shallots, garlic, mustard, vinegar, paprika, cayenne, lemon juice, horseradish, and salt and pepper, to taste. Whisk in the olive oil. Stir in the celery, parsley, and scallion. Reserve 1 tablespoon for the sandwich, and store the rest in the refrigerator for later use.
• For the fried tomatoes: Combine the buttermilk, salt, pepper, and egg in a bowl. Combine the flour with the Creole seasoning and garlic powder in another bowl.
• Heat the oil in a 7-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat until the oil reaches approximately 150 degrees F on a candy thermometer.
• Dredge the green tomato slices in the flour mix, then the egg wash, and then the flour mix again and set aside.
• Once the oil is at the correct temperature, slowly place the green tomato slices in the oil. (Make sure the oil is no higher than half way up your pan.) Cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes on each side. Once golden on both sides, lift the tomatoes out and place on a plate that has been lined with a paper towel. Season with salt and pepper.
• To assemble: Place the butter in a pan and melt over medium-high heat. Toast both sides of the bread.
• Slather both sides of the bread with reserved remoulade. Then layer with fried green tomatoes, Roma tomatoes, bacon, and arugula and top with the remaining slice of bread.
• Slice in half and enjoy.

FRIED CHICKEN BLT MELT

Steps:

• For the honey mustard sauce: Mix together the mustard, honey and mayonnaise in a small bowl and refrigerate until ready to use.
• For the fried chicken BLT melt: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil.
• Remove the poached chicken from the refrigerator and let come to room temperature.
• Lay the bacon slices on the prepared baking sheet and bake until crisp, about 20 minutes. Drain on a paper-towel-lined plate.
• Add 1 1/2 inches of oil to a high-sided cast-iron skillet (making sure you are below halfway) and heat until a deep-fry thermometer inserted in the oil registers 375 degrees F. While waiting for the oil to heat, toast the buns in the still-warm oven.
• Whisk together the flour, salt, garlic powder, paprika and black pepper in a baking dish. In a separate baking dish, whisk together the buttermilk and hot sauce. Slice each chicken breast in half horizontally. Dredge the chicken through the buttermilk, letting any excess drip off, then through the flour. Carefully place in the hot oil and fry until golden and crisp, 1 to 2 minutes on each side. Remove to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain. Cover the chicken pieces immediately with the cheese slices so they can begin to melt.
• Spread the cut sides of the buns with the honey mustard sauce. Add 2 pieces of fried chicken to each bottom bun, and top with 2 pieces of bacon, a piece of lettuce, a slice of tomato and more sauce if desired. Sandwich the buns together and enjoy.