Fried Green Tomatoes

I'm not talking about these:

I'm talking about these babies:

This is the holy grail of fried veggies! I usually just eyeball this recipe but I am putting in writing for one of my favorite cousins, Dan. He had them at my house a few years ago. It was like a magic act as soon as I would pull them out of the oil they would disappear! *POOF* gone! So here it is:

Krysten's Fried Green Tomatoes:

Ingredients:

2 green tomatoes (sliced about 1/8" thick)
*a tip for picking good green tomatoes is they should be firm but give just a little when you squeeze them. I use a mandolin to cut my green tomatoes because they are firm enough, and you get uniform slices.
2 eggs
2 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. seasoned salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. cayenne (if you don't have it just use another 1/2 tsp. of pepper)
2 tbsp water
salt
1 1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. corn meal (if you don't have it no biggie, just adds some extra crunch)

1. Place your tomato slices out in a single layer on a paper towel lined cookie sheet  and sprinkle with salt and place another layer of paper towel on top. Let sit for about 15 minutes. *This helps draw the moisture out of the tomato so your coating will stick and not come off in the oil.
2. Heat you oil to 350-370 degrees in a deep pan. (if you don't have a oil thermometer, get one! I failed most of my frying attempts because my oil had not been hot enough with a thermometer you are sure to be at the right temp.)
3. While the tomatoes are sweating mix together four, corn meal, and spices. Set aside.
4. In a separate bowl whisk together you eggs and water.
5. Then dip a tomato slice into your flour mixture first then into the egg and then back into the flour and then into the oil it goes. *Fry in batches that way when you take a batch out, you can let your oil come back to the temp you started with and you will have uniform tomatoes.
6. After about 4 minutes they should be golden brown and ready to come out and onto a paper towel lined baking sheet with a cooling rack on top. *I do this so air can circulate on all sides so you don't have a soggy fried green tomato. Sprinkle with a little more seasoned salt as they come out of the oil.
7. Set your oven to 200 and pop the done tomatoes in so they stay crispy and warm. Fry the rest of your slices and enjoy!

FYI- If your house is anything like mine, this recipe may cause your tomato plants not to produce red tomatoes, because you will constantly be picking the green ones off before the get red! You've been warned!

This is what our tomato plants looked like this year:

Scary right?