Fried Heirloom Tomatoes

 

Ingredients:

• 4 medium heirloom tomatoes (preferably 2 red and 2 gold, but any one color is fine)
• Salt
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
• ¼ cup seasoned breadcrumbs
• ¼ cup panko breadcrumbs
• ¼ teaspoon Italian seasoning
• ¼ teaspoon paprika
• ¼ teaspoon granulated garlic
• Pinch black pepper
• Peanut or vegetable oil, for frying
• 8 ounces fresh mozzarella (ball shape), sliced into 8 (¼” thick) slices, drained on a paper towel
• 24 fresh basil leaves
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 teaspoons of balsamic vinegar

Preparation:

1. Begin by gathering and prepping all of your ingredients according to the ingredient list above to have them ready and organized for use.
2. Slice a little bit off of the top and bottom of each tomato to create a flat surface. Next, slice each tomato into 3 slices (about ¼ inch to ½ inch thick), making a total of 12 tomato slices. (You can reserve any leftover tomato for other use).
3. Lay the 12 tomato slices onto a paper towel and gently dab to remove excess moisture from the tomatoes, and sprinkle each side of the slices with generous pinches of salt.
4. To set up your dredging station, add the flour to a large plate or large bowl, and add a generous pinch of salt, mixing to combine. Set aside.
5. In another large bowl, crack the eggs and whisk. Set aside.
6. In a third bowl, add the parmesan, the seasoned breadcrumbs, the panko breadcrumbs, a generous pinch of salt, the Italian seasoning, paprika, granulated garlic, and black pepper, and mix to combine. Set aside.
7. To dredge the tomatoes, take each slice and dredge in the flour, then the egg, and finally the parmesan/breadcrumb mixture. Place the slices onto a clean plate to hold as you dredge the remaining slices.
8. Once all tomato slices are dredged, add enough of the peanut or vegetable oil to a large, non-stick pan to cover the bottom, for shallow frying. Set the pan over medium-high heat, and once the oil is very hot, work in batches by adding about half of the tomato slices (about 6) into the oil, and frying for about 1 ½ to 2 minutes per side, or until golden-brown and crispy.
9. Remove the slices from the oil and place them onto paper towels to drain, sprinkling with a little extra salt while still hot, if desired. Repeat the process again with the next batch, and once all the tomato slices are fried, allow them to cool just a little bit until they can be handled.
10. To assemble the fried tomatoes, add one fried tomato slice to the center of each plate. Next, add a slice of the fresh mozzarella over top, and then 3 fresh basil leaves over the mozzarella. Repeat the process again by adding another fried tomato slice, then a slice of fresh mozzarella and 3 fresh basil leaves, finishing off with a fried tomato slice (you can alternate the colors for a pretty presentation).
11. To serve the fried tomatoes, drizzle 1 tablespoon of the olive oil onto each plate next to the tomato stacks, and 1 teaspoon of the balsamic vinegar right into the center of the olive oil on each plate, creating a little dressing to dip each bite into.

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