The Southern Belle
How to make perfect fried green tomatoes By Shauna L. Nosler | Photography Jennifer L. Rubenstein
“I
loved to bake when I was little,” says Betsy Amirhamzeh. “Always in the kitchen with mama—pies, cakes and oatmeal cookies—every time it snowed.” Which, she says, it did every winter in Greensboro, North Carolina. “Mama said the oatmeal gave us more energy. We’d use extra butter, no raisins, and slightly overcooked them so they’d be crunchy. We followed, more or less, the recipe on the back of the Quaker Oats box.” A native of North Carolina, Amirhamzeh grew up eating hearty home-cooked meals—the kind of meals that scream Dixie and bring smiles to everyone’s faces. “Mama cooked every night. I loved, loved, LOVED, her fried chicken with rice and gravy,” she says. “And my grandma’s peach cob-
bler and baked mac ’n’ cheese and my church’s Brunswick stew that was served every year at our annual fundraiser.” Today, Amirhamzeh says she cooks those dishes for her family the exact same way her mother and grandmother did, and she still enjoys baking. But over the years her cooking skills have developed, even gotten a bit international. She met her husband, Arman, in college and after they married she learned to cook a few of the traditional Persian dishes from his home, Iran—dishes like koobideh, an Iranian kebab usually made from beef or ground lamb, and chelow, a golden-brown rice dish similar to a pilaf, only with a crispy crust. “The kids are always really excited when I cook a Persian meal,” she says. But, although they love the exotic flavors and textures, her Southern cooking is always a big hit, on any given night. And one of her signature dishes is fried green tomatoes—a Southern favorite even before 1987 novel Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café and the 1991 movie based on it. I have been lucky enough to try Amirhamzeh’s version and all I can say is, “Towanda!” Betsy’s tips for making fried green tomatoes akin to the ones served at the Whistle Stop Café: •
Use green tomatoes—really green, no red and no yellow.
•
Rinse tomatoes and gently dry them.
•
Cut tomatoes into ⅓-inch-thick slices.
For the coating: In one bowl combine equal amounts cornmeal and flour (she uses whole-wheat white flour and cornmeal), and a dash of salt and pepper. In another bowl, combine two eggs with ½ cup milk. Dip sliced tomatoes into dry mix, then wet and then dry again. “To cut the bitterness, a lot of times people sprinkle a little sugar on the tomato before dredging in the flour and egg mixture. The most important thing is to dip the tomato in the flour, then egg and flour again. There has to be a thick coating created.” Heat canola oil in a cast-iron skillet. “My mama always told me to check if the oil was hot enough before I put anything in it otherwise the tomatoes will turn out burnt and soggy. I put a couple droplets of water on my fingertips and sprinkle them into the oil. If the water pops back up, the oil is ready.” Layer the bottom of the pan with the tomatoes, making sure they don’t overlap. Fry until they start to brown around the edges. “Then I flip them and I keep flipping until they turn golden. Once both sides have a nice golden color, remove them onto a paper shopping bag to drain the grease. “I like to eat them when they’re hot or room temperature. They are fun to dip into a marinara or pizza sauce but I like them just as they are.” edibleINDY.com
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