greens keeper
• Just because a tomato is green doesn't mean it's fit for frying. Heirloom varieties such as Tasty Evergreen and Green Zebra are bred to stay green after maturity. Make sure any green tomato is firm and unripened before attempting to immerse it in hot oil (otherwise you'll get battered mush). Papery-husked tomatillos, or Mexican green tomatoes, also are fry-able, but their flavor can be bitter-tart (an attribute that might work when tempered with a soothing sauce).
• The best green tomatoes for eating are large (10 to 16 ounces), smooth, well-rounded and shoulder-free.
• Full-sized green tomatoes -- heavy with just a hint of give to their exteriors -- are ideal for frying or broiling. Smaller, younger ones with concentrated flavor and more crispness are most often used in sprightly relishes or sauces.
• To maintain best flavor and greenness, store freshly picked tomatoes in a single layer in a cool place in your home (cellar or pantry), and always out of direct sunlight so they don't ripen. They can be refrigerated, but over time this will cause them to lose flavor and become mushy.
fried and true
• Avoid frying smaller green tomatoes, which tend to be bitter in flavor.
• Add a tablespoon of bacon grease to amp up the frying oil's flavor.
• The best frying oil is one that can take high heat (400 degrees), helping to quickly seal the coating and keep the slices from soaking up too much oil. Canola and peanut are my favorites.
• A buttermilk soaking helps a crust stick to the tomatoes; without it, you'll wind up with rustic, less evenly coated slices (which sometimes have their own charms).
• In the North, slices are typically dusted with self-rising flour before frying, while in the South, cornmeal or corn flour rules.
• If you plan ahead, chill tomato slices overnight on thick layers of paper towels to help drain away water. This will help the fry coating stick.
• Slice tomatoes 1/4 to 1/3 inch thick. Thinner slices always seem to be a good idea until you watch them disintegrate in the bubbling oil.
• Some people add sugar to a coating mix to counteract the tomatoes' tartness. Bless their hearts.
• Add breadcrumbs or panko crumbs for unexpected textures and flavor.
• Fry tomato slices in shallow, hot (but not smoking) oil, always in a heavy iron skillet (to harbor the high heat), to help golden crusts form on the bottom of each slice.
• Keep tomato slices warm on a raised rack fitted within a baking pan in an oven heated to 250 degrees. They'll keep there for about 30 minutes (but the longer they're there, the more prone they are to losing their crispness).