Impatience can be a virtue; although this typically doesn’t apply to the laws of nature, or anything that has to do with cooking, sometimes there are brilliant anomalies that simply keep life interesting, inexplicable, and utterly delicious. Our family garden is coming along beautifully this year, and although we’re already harvesting most of the smaller varieties of tomatoes, the larger, more sought after Goliath and Arkansas Traveler fruit are still hanging green from the vine. So, our impatience can be validated by making this amalgamation of traditional southern fried green tomatoes with a Korean style preparation and sauce. This dish is great as accompaniment to fish and chicken, but honestly I love nestled against a bowl of jasmine rice or vegetable tossed salad. Regardless, we hope your impatience will also get the best of you…so that you and your family can enjoy our Korean Fried Green Tomatoes.
Korean Fried Green Tomatoes
Serves: 4 to 6 | Prep: 15 Minutes | Cook: 20 Minutes
INGREDIENTS
7 cloves garlic
1 (3 inch) piece ginger, peeled
5 tbsp. soy sauce
5 tbsp. sri racha
2 tbsp. rice vinegar
2 tbsp. sesame oil
2 tbsp. honey
4 large green tomatoes, sliced
salt and pepper, big pinches
Canola oil, for frying
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole milk
2 eggs
1 lemon
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
2 cups panko bread crumbs
Green onions, sliced as garnish
TECHNIQUE
Rough chop garlic and ginger, add to blender or food processor; then add soy, sri racha, vinegar, sesame oil, and honey; puree until smooth. Place sauce in a bowl and set aside.
Slice unpeeled tomatoes into 1/2 inch slices; lay on a large platter or sheet pan and sprinkle with salt. Allow tomatoes to rest in salt for 10 minutes.
While the salted green tomato slices are resting, bring place oil in a skillet and heat to medium high; then lay out three shallow bowls; in the first combine flour with salt and pepper; in the second, whisk together milk, lemon juice, and eggs; and in the third, combine panko breadcrumbs with lemon zest and chopped cilantro.
Dip the green tomato slices in the flour mix, then the milk-egg mixture, and finally the panko breadcrumb mix. In the skillet, fry half of the coated tomato slices at a time, for 3-5 minutes on each side or until brown.
Set the cooked tomatoes on paper towels to drain. Serve with green onions as an appetizer, side, or all by itself with jasmine rice and a dipping condiment of *Korean Comeback sauce.
*Our version of Korean Comback sauce is simply mixing together 1 cup of mayo with 1 tablespoon of sri rach chili sauce.
