I got a message just this week from my friend David Bancroft at Acre Restaurant in Auburn, Alabama. Included in that message was a photo of the most beautiful green tomatoes hanging on the vines right outside his restaurant. He knew I would go nuts, as his recipe for fried green tomatoes is one of my all-time favorite dishes. In fact, if it hadn’t been so late, Neal and I would have jumped in the car and driven there for these delicacies. I blogged about his wonderful restaurant last year, so you already know his story.
David is very gracious to share the recipe for his fried green tomatoes. I do hope you enjoy making them and savoring every bite. I know Neal and I will be on our way to Auburn very soon. I love dining on the fresh vegetables he grows right on the “Acre” gardens.
Acre Restaurant made the Taste 50 list in the July/August issue of Taste of the South magazine. The people, places, products, organizations, and companies named to the Taste 50 list represent the best in Southern food. They are authentically Southern, have superior quality, and have made an impact toward the preservation, celebration, and future of Southern food.
I hope your gardens and farmers’ markets are brimming with wonderful vegetables this summer. Sneak out and pick some green tomatoes, and enjoy making David’s special recipe.
- Peanut oil, for frying
- 12 slices fresh green tomato
- 1 cup whole buttermilk
- 2 cups cornmeal, such as Granary Farms
- Crystal Rémoulade (recipe follows)
- 1 cup pimiento cheese
- Marinated Crab (recipe follows)
- Garnish: fresh basil leaves
- In a medium Dutch oven, fill with peanut oil to halfway full. Heat over medium-high heat until a deep-fry thermometer reads 350°.
- Dip tomato slices in buttermilk; dredge in cornmeal. Cook in batches until golden brown, approximately two minutes. Let drain on paper towels.
- For each serving, spread 2 tablespoons Crystal Rémoulade on the bottom of 1 plate. Top with 1 tomato slice. Spread tomato with 2 tablespoons pimento cheese. Top with another tomato slice and 2 tablespoons pimiento cheese; top with another tomato slice. Place ¼ cup Marinated Crab on top of tomato. Garnish with basil, if desired.
- Prepare Crystal Rémoulade and Marinated Crab first. Pick up store-bought pimiento cheese to save time, or prepare your family’s favorite recipe.
- 1 pound fresh Gulf crab, picked clean of shells
- 1 fresh jalapeño, seeded and minced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- Zest and juice of 1 lime
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
- Dash of hot sauce, such as Crystal
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients. Gently toss until combined, being careful to avoid breaking up crab. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1/3 cup Creole mustard
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1/2 tablespoon hot sauce, such as Crystal
- 1 tablespoon Creole seasoning
- 1 finely minced spicy pickle chip, such as Wickle’s
- 1 tablespoon water
- In a medium bowl, stir together all ingredients until combined. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Let me know how you cook your tomatoes.
Purchase today!
Comments 20
Oh! I am definitely going to have to try these at Acre! We are only 45 minutes away and they sound amazing!
Phyllis, if you love fried green tomatoes, you must come to Ponchatoula Louisiana and have the Frenchman Poboy at Cafe Nola. It a crispy French bread filled with spicy bronzed shrimp, fried green tomatoes, shredded cabbage, and remoulade sauce. Heavenly.
Mmmm, I love fried green tomatoes.
Fried Green Tomatoes, is a film/movie to me; as this is what I think of when I hear of this. I have not seen movie either. The dish looks lovely, nice and crunchy but unsure of the peanut oil. Thanks for sharing!
I am fortunate enough to travel fairly often to Auburn on business. I love Acre and up until very recently David’s sweet wife Christin was my account rep at the Auburn University Hotel and CC. A great place to stay if you’re in the area and you could probably walk to the restaurant if you could walk 5 city blocks. Love seeing them showcased for this wonderful recipe. I had fried catfish the last time I was there and it was some of the best I’ve ever had and I’m a southern girl North Florida born and raised. Cheers Mel
I am also now living in Southern California, and I greatly miss my New Jersey and East Coast tomatoes. Tomatoes grown in California just do not taste nearly as good, (sorry it is true) and the green ones here have little flavor at all. Even in a good restaurant here, the flavor is lacking. I have to admit, when I was a young girl, we always fried ours in…….yes….bacon fat! We would save it up in a jar in the fridge all summer long just for that purpose. In September when the tomatoes would no longer ripen on the vine, we would pick the biggest green ones and slice them thick and fry them up in the bacon fat. The smell and taste are wonderful! Nothing like it. Of course, we know now it is not a healthy way to eat, so peanut oil is a great healthy way to enjoy this special treat. Thank you for a great childhood memory. I would love to visit Acre Restaurant!
I can’t find any reference to Granary Farms. Is this the brand name?
Acre is one of our favorite restaurants. David Bancroft is so creative! http://threefriendsandafork.blogspot.com/2014/01/war-eagle-anyway.html
This sounds really good, thanks Phyllis. Up here, in Canada, green tomatoes are not really a staple but I had the good fortune to attend a cooking show last year that featured, yes, green tomatoes! I made green tomato muffins that were so moist and yummy as well as green tomato butter tarts. This was a real eye opener for me…can’t wait to experiment some more this year, starting with the above recipe. Happy cooking everyone!
Morning Phyllis, Thanks so much for Fried Green Tomato recipe. Always wanted to try it from a movie I saw years ago called “Fried Green Tomatoes” I will convert the crab to chicken as hubby is not
a crab meat lover like I am. It will make a great Ca. meal with grilled corn on the cobb and a slice of watermelon for dessert. Must go shopping now, and thanks again for another great recipe! Carmel
you could actually leave out the crab on top. It is glorious with or without.
This restaurant is amazing! We celebrated my son’s 21st birthday and his graduation from Auburn here. Thank you for this recipe.
YUM YUM !! Summertime dining at its very best, thanks for the recipes, I will be trying soon.
Can’t wait to try! The Greenbrier has a wonderful fried green tomato sandwich. It includes goat cheese and bacon
Yum! So summer’s really here!
Oh My Goodness – don’t these sound mouthwatering – even at 10 o’clock in the morning!!
Grandmother & Mother always battered with cornmeal. For me that’s what says Southern in many dishes such as FGT.
I don’t think I’ve ever found a way that our family doesn’t like tomatoes: obviously,
fresh off the vine; baked with Parmesan & a bit of oregano; baked or raw with pesto & Mozzarella… Goodness, we might have to have an impromptu brunch of Prosciutto, mozzarella & ripen tomato right now!! Perhaps this recipe for dinner!! Hmmmm!
Always a delight to see “The Ribbon” in my Inbox. Blessings!
Here in Southern California, it’s not that easy to find good Fried Green Tomatoes. One of my favorite restaurants does have it on the menu, I am thrilled with this recipe. Thank you so much for sharing it, now we can have them anytime. 🙂
Could you please give me the name of the restaurant you referenced? We live on the central coast but would love the name.
Lidy, plan a trip to the South and we will go to Acre! It’s only 45 minutes away!
……………and who doesn’t love a good fried green tomato? Glad to have another recipe for making them. I will try this one soon! Thanks~