Gluten-Free Fried Green Tomatoes

Ingredients

• Vegetable oil or peanut oil, for frying
• 4 medium-size green tomatoes (about 7 ounces each)
• 1 cup (about 4 1/2 ounces) cornstarch
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
• 2 cups stone-ground fine yellow cornmeal (about 11 1/2 ounces)
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Sea salt

Steps

1. Pour oil to a depth of 1/2 inch into a large cast-iron skillet. Heat oil over medium-high to 325°F. (Closely watch the temperature, adjusting heat as necessary to maintain 325°F.)
2. Slice tomatoes into 1/4- to 1/2-inch-thick slices. (You should get 4 to 5 slices per tomato.) Place cornstarch in a wide, shallow dish. In a second wide, shallow dish, whisk together eggs, buttermilk, and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. In a third wide, shallow dish, stir together cornmeal, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt. Working in batches, dredge tomato slices in cornstarch, shaking off excess; dip in egg mixture, then dredge in cornmeal mixture, patting cornmeal coating onto slices. Place breaded slices on a parchment paper–lined baking sheet.
3. Working in batches, fry tomato slices (about 3 to 5 slices at a time) until golden brown and crispy, 3 to 4 minutes, flipping halfway through frying. Place on a baking sheet lined with paper towels and sprinkle with sea salt. This recipe was developed by Karen Rankin; the text was written by Jodie Kautzmann.