The Old Farmer's ÃÛÌÒÁµÈË Editors
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My western PA family never put gravy on these gems. Instead, it was served with bottle of ketchup, which was ok, and still is, but as i grew older I wanted a different kind of dippy sauce (I'm a dipper) So i started experimenting with different concoctions and the one I like best is a simple remoulade type: mix mayo with grated horseradish to your level of spiciness, add a nice squirt of fresh lemon juice, some drained capers, dash or two of hot sauce, salt and coarsely ground pepper. Yummy. And oh yes, (delicious sigh), go with the bacon grease, at least this one time…..
My Dad loved his Fried Green Tomatoes & got my Son hooked on them as soon as he was old enough to eat solid food. After the first year my Dad fixed them for him he would pester my Dad every year after that for more fried maters as Dad called them lol. Dad was from northern Ky with relatives all over the state & Mom was from lower Tenn, also with relatives all thru the south. Their recipe for Fried Maters (Green Maters) is enough flour with salt, pepper, garlic & onion powder to dredge the maters in then dip them in a solution of one of the following depending on your taste, egg & water, egg & milk, buttermilk then dredge them in the flour mixture again. Fry in about an inch of bacon grease until golden brown on each side. drain on paper towels to soak up the excess grease then either eat as they are or make sandwich on fresh baked biscuits, toasted bread & mayo or a sandwich bun. Dads favorite...a fresh baked buttermilk biscuit with crispy bacon & a big glass of ice cold milk or buttermilk (yuk). Dad ate Fried Maters for about 70yrs and always made them as I stated. He loved those things & looked forward to them every year. He always said they tasted better than the ripe ones, I think he might have been a little tetched in the head if you ask me cause NOTHING is better than a fresh red ripe tomato with a little salt to bring out it's natural flavor on a hot sunny day or heck any day for that matter lol. Dad has been gone now for about 5 yrs and my Son sure does miss his Papaw making his Fried Maters for him, I just miss him.
GREEN ??? my mother always made fried tomatoes and Gravy ---- but never green !!!! when i was a kid i would never eat the tomatoes--- but the gravy on a slice of bread i would die for today i love the tomatoes just as much as the gravy after reading all the hype about the green ones i may have to try them ----- i find the key to the gravy is to break up 3 or 4 tomatoes in the gravy --mmm mmmmm Good
Of COURSE green! I'm from Brooklyn, N.Y. and even I know that! LOL! ;-)
Crispier the better!! Use half cornmeal and half flour! Dredge in flour then dip in egg mixture then press into cornmeal and flour. I like crackers crushed or panko also mixed in for more texture!!
Only make gravy if you use bacon grease to fry them in. Anything else like oil or shortening for gravy will be nasty. Just my southern girl opinion.
To Make Good gravy you have to use LARD or manteca WHEN FRYING ALWAYS USE LARD AND THEN MAKE YOUR RUE AND THEN ADD EVAPORATED MILK AND WATER OF EQUAL AMOUNT.
I agree !
Gravy made the aforementioned way would be pretty tasteless. I wouldn't bother doing fried green tomatoes either without bacon grease !
My Mom always made them dipped in egg then flour then egg then crushed saltine crackers. Love them. I live for summer and Fried Green Tomatoes. Try putting spaghetti sauce on them too.
I like to cut mine up chunky, mix with cut okra and chopped onions, salt and pepper, batter with a little flour and cornmeal and fry together in my caste iron frying pan. Cook a pot of crowder peas, pan of cornbread and serve all with green tomato relish or chow chow. Delicious!
