Perfect Fried Green Tomatoes

My Southern grandma taught me how to make fried green tomatoes, and I’ve been doing it for more than 35 years. I’ve tried a lot of fried green tomato recipes over the years, and this one is the best. These tomatoes are smooth and creamy on the inside, with a crispy exterior that pairs nicely with the Cajun-ranch sauce.

Twenty minutes for preparation

Cooking Time: 10 minutes

Extra Time: Ten Minutes

40 minutes in total

Servings: Five components

Ingredients

• Four green tomatoes, sliced into quarter-inch pieces
• To taste, add salt and ground black pepper.
• One cup of flour for all purposes
• two tsp salt, separated
• Two tsp finely ground black pepper, split
• One cup of buttermilk
• One cup of cornmeal
• One tsp of dehydrated parsley
• One tsp of paprikOne-half teaspoon of cayenne
• Two cups canola oil, or more if necessary

Cajun Ranch Dressing:

• Half a cup of ranch dressinTwo teaspoons seasoning (Cajun)
• two tsp spicy sauce

Guidelines

• Add salt and pepper to tomato slices for seasoning.
• In a small bowl, stir together flour, 1 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Transfer buttermilk to another small basin. In a third shallow bowl, combine cornmeal, parsley, paprika, 1 teaspoon each of salt, pepper, and cayenne.
• Each tomato slice should be coated by dredging it in flour mixture, dipping it in buttermilk, and then pressing it into cornmeal mixture on both sides. Arrange the coated tomato slices onto a baking sheet and allow them to absorb the coating for ten to fifteen minutes.
• Preheat oil in a big saucepan or deep fryer to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius).
• Drop tomato slices gently.
• Place into heated oil and fry for 2 to 3 minutes, or until golden brown and floating. Empty onto a paper towel-lined plate.
• In a small dish, whisk together the ranch dressing, hot pepper sauce, and Cajun seasoning. Serve with fried tomato slices.