Fried Green Tomato Sandwiches
These Fried Green Tomato Sandwiches are topped with pan-fried cotija cheese, tomatillo salsa, and cilantro micro greens to make a deliciously fun and filling vegetarian sandwich.
Ingredients
Fried Heirloom Tomatos
- 1 inch medium-large green heirloom tomato cut into 1/2 slices, make sure it is firm and not yet ripe
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon ancho chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1 egg
- dash of salt
- dash of Tabasco sauce
- 1 cup panko
- high heat oil
Heriloom Tomato Dressing
- 1/2 cup leftover tomato pieces
- 1 tablespoon good quality olive oil
- squeeze of lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Tomatillo Salsa
- 4 tomatillos
- 1 serrano pepper
- 2 tablespoons diced onion
- 1/4 cup cilantro or 1/4 cup cilantro micro greens stems and leaves
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon sugar
Accoutrements
- 3 slices sourdough sandwich loaf rustic french bread, hamburger buns-whatever you want
- 1 cloves of garlic peeled and sliced in half horizontally
- 3/4 cup crumbled cotija cheese
- cilantro or micro greens
- diced avocado
Instructions
Heirloom Tomato Dressing
- Cut the tomato into 1/2 inch thick slices.
- Take the leftover bits of tomato (about a 1/2 cup) and either dice them or put them in a food processor and pulse a couple of times until finely diced. In a small bowl, whisk together 1 tablespoon good quality olive oil (I used Meyer Lemon infused olive oil), a squeeze of lemon juice, and 1/4th teaspoon salt. Add the diced tomato and mix well. Cover and put in the fridge.
Tomatillo Salsa
- Put the tomatillos and pepper in a pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and cook for 10 minutes until tender.
- Remove from heat with a slotted spoon and let cool. Once they are cool enough to touch, remove the husks from the tomatillos and cut the stem off the serrano pepper. De-seed the pepper if you want a mild salsa or leave it as is for some heat. Reserve a 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid.
- Put all the ingredients in a blender (except for the reserved liquid) and blend on high until smooth. Add the reserved liquid if it is too thick.
- Pour into a bowl and taste. Add the sea salt and sugar as needed. Cover and refrigerate.
Bread
- Thinly slice whatever bread you are using and brush good quality olive oil on each side. Broil each side until toasted. Rub one side with the split garlic. Set aside.
Cheese
- Heat frying pan over medium heat. When it is hot, place 1/4 cup crumbled cotija cheese in the middle and shape it into a 3 to 4 inch circle. Cook for 1 minute or until the cheese is bound together like a griddle and is golden on the bottom. Flip and cook on other side. Remove and place on a plate. Repeat with the rest of the cotija cheese.
Fried Heirloom Tomatoes
- Mix the flour, cornstarch, ancho chili powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a shallow bowl.
- Mix the buttermilk, egg, tabasco, and dash of salt in another shallow bowl.
- Pour 1 cup of the Panko in a shallow bowl.
- In a frying pan, heat an inch of oil on high heat. To test if the oil is ready, touch a wooden spoon to the surface. If bubbles rise up, the oil is hot enough to begin frying.
- Dredge the tomatoes in the flour mixture, then the buttermilk mixture, and then the Panko. Place in the frying pan and fry on each side for 1 minute. Use a slotted spoon or tongs to remove the tomatoes and set them on a cooling rack covered with a paper towel.
- Assemble your sandwiches.
Notes
These recipe is easily adaptable to more people (6). Use 2 heirloom tomatoes instead of one and add 1 more cup of Panko.