Fried Green Tomato And Pancetta Panini Recipes

FRIED GREEN TOMATOES WITH BURST CHERRY TOMATOES, PANCETTA AND LOBSTER

Steps:

• Place the sliced green tomatoes onto a sheet tray lined with a rack and sprinkle with some kosher salt. Allow to sit for 30 minutes.
• Set up a dredging station by placing 1 cup of the flour into one dish, the eggs into a second and the cornmeal mixed with the remaining 1/4 cup flour into a third. Pat the green tomatoes dry on both sides. Season with more kosher salt, then dip a slice into the flour first, shaking off any excess, then into the egg and finally the cornmeal. Place onto a sheet tray lined with a rack and repeat with the remaining tomato slices. Make sure to pat the cornmeal onto the tomato firmly to ensure it's tightly coated.
• Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil into a large, high sided saute pan and turn on the heat to low. Add the pancetta and smashed garlic and gently cook to slowly render the fat, stirring occasionally, until the pancetta is crispy and most of the fat has rendered out, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove the pancetta with a slotted spoon onto a paper towel-lined plate. Sprinkle the lobster tails with kosher salt. Add into the pan, cut side down, and sear for 2 to 3 minutes, until they begin to turn pink. Add the white wine and cover the pan to steam the lobster for another 1 to 2 minutes to finish cooking. Remove the lobster tails onto a sheet tray and allow to cool slightly. Add the cherry tomatoes and crushed red pepper and season with kosher salt. Cook until the cherry tomatoes begin to burst, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the chicken stock and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has reduced and slightly thickened, about 15 minutes. Remove and discard the smashed garlic. Season with kosher salt if needed.
• Carefully remove the meat from lobster shells and discard the shells. Toss the lobster meat into the sauce to quickly warm.
• Heat a large saute pan with the remaining 1/2 cup olive oil over medium heat. Add half of the breaded green tomatoes (you want to cook these in two batches) and fry for 3 to 4 minutes, or until crispy on the underside. Carefully flip, then cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove onto a plate lined with paper towels to drain excess oil, then transfer to a sheet tray lined with a rack so they remain crispy. Season immediately with kosher salt.
• Set up a fryer with vegetable oil and heat the oil to 350 degrees F. Fry the basil leaves until crispy, 1 to 2 minutes. Be careful because as they will pop in the oil. Remove the basil leaves onto a paper-towel-lined sheet tray.
• To serve, plate 2 fried green tomatoes and top with 2 lobster halves. Spoon the burst cherry tomato and pancetta sauce around the green tomatoes, making sure not to smother them so the fried tomatoes don't get soggy. Garnish the tomato sauce with the grated Parmesan cheese and top with the fried basil leaves.

FRIED GREEN TOMATO AND PANCETTA PANINI

Steps:

• Put 1 cup of the flour in a shallow bowl. In another shallow bowl, combine the remaining 1/2 cup flour, the cornmeal, salt and pepper. Put the eggs in another bowl. Season the tomato slices with salt and pepper. Dredge the tomatoes in flour and dip them into the eggs, letting the excess drip off. Then dredge the tomatoes in the cornmeal mixture. Place on a plate. In a deep sauté pan over medium heat, warm the 1/4 cup olive oil and 3 Tbs. pancetta fat until almost smoking. Working in batches, fry the tomatoes, turning once, until golden, 2 to 3 minutes per side, adding more pancetta fat to the pan as needed. Transfer the tomatoes to a paper towel-lined plate. Preheat an electric panini press according to the manufacturers instructions. Brush one side of each bread slice with olive oil. Lay the slices, oiled side down, on a work surface. Place the cheese on half of the slices, dividing evenly. Top with the pancetta, 2 or 3 tomato slices and one of the other bread slices, oiled side up. Place the sandwiches on the panini press and cook according to the manufacturers instructions until the bread is golden and the cheese is melted, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer the sandwiches to a cutting board. Place 1/4 cup arugula inside each sandwich and cut in half. Serve immediately. Serves 4.

GREEN TOMATO FRITTATA

Steps:

• Core the tomatoes and slice half of them about 1/3 inch thick. Set aside. Peel the remaining tomatoes by dropping them in a pot of boiling water for 30 seconds, then transferring to a bowl of ice water. Cut in half, squeeze or scoop out the seeds, and chop fine.
• Season the sliced tomatoes lightly with salt and pepper, and dredge lightly in the cornmeal. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a heavy, nonstick 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat, and fry the sliced tomatoes for two to three minutes on each side, just until lightly colored. Remove from the heat and set aside. If there is cornmeal in the pan, clean and dry the pan.
• Heat the remaining olive oil in the pan over medium heat, and add the chopped onion. Cook, stirring, until tender, three to five minutes, and add a generous pinch of salt and the garlic. Stir together until fragrant, about 30 seconds, and stir in the chopped tomatoes. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring often, until the tomatoes have softened and are beginning to stick to the pan, about 10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning. Stir in the basil and chives.
• Meanwhile, beat the eggs and milk together in a large bowl, and season with salt and pepper (I use about 1/2 teaspoon salt). When the chopped tomatoes have cooked down, turn the heat up to medium-high and pour in the eggs. Swirl the pan to distribute the eggs and filling evenly over the surface. Shake the pan gently, tilting it slightly with one hand while lifting up the edges of the frittata with the spatula in your other hand, letting the eggs run underneath during the first few minutes of cooking. Distribute the fried sliced green tomatoes over the surface of the frittata. Turn the heat down to low, cover and cook 10 minutes, shaking the pan gently every once in a while. From time to time, remove the lid and loosen the bottom with a spatula. Meanwhile, preheat the broiler.
• Finish the frittata under the broiler for one to three minutes, watching very carefully to make sure the top doesn't burn. Remove from the heat, shake the pan to make sure the frittata isn't sticking (it will slide around a bit in the nonstick pan) and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes, up to 15 minutes. Loosen the edges with a wooden or plastic spatula. Carefully slide from the pan onto a large round platter. Cut in wedges and serve, or serve at room temperature.

QUICK FRIED GREEN TOMATOES

Steps:

• Slice tomatoes 1/4 in. thick. Sprinkle both sides with salt and lemon-pepper. Let stand for 20-25 minutes. Coat with cornmeal. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Fry tomatoes for 3-4 minutes on each side or until tender and golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Serve immediately.

FRIED GREEN TOMATO SANDWICHES

Steps:

• In a shallow dish, combine flour and seasonings; dip tomatoes in the mixture and set aside. In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. , Remove to paper towels to drain. In the drippings, cook tomatoes for 2 minutes on each side; drain on paper towels. , Place six slices of toast on a baking sheet. Layer with three tomato slices, two bacon strips and a cheese slice. Broil 3-4 in. from the heat for 3-4 minutes or until cheese is melted. Top with lettuce if desired. , Spread mayonnaise and mustard on remaining toast if desired; place over lettuce.

BEST FRIED GREEN TOMATOES

Steps:

• Slice tomatoes 1/2 inch thick. Discard the ends.
• Whisk eggs and milk together in a medium-size bowl. Scoop flour onto a plate. Mix cornmeal, bread crumbs and salt and pepper on another plate. Dip tomatoes into flour to coat. Then dip the tomatoes into milk and egg mixture. Dredge in breadcrumbs to completely coat.
• In a large skillet, pour vegetable oil (enough so that there is 1/2 inch of oil in the pan) and heat over a medium heat. Place tomatoes into the frying pan in batches of 4 or 5, depending on the size of your skillet. Do not crowd the tomatoes, they should not touch each other. When the tomatoes are browned, flip and fry them on the other side. Drain them on paper towels.

FRIED GREEN TOMATO AND PANCETTA PANINI

Steps:

• Put 1 cup flour in shallow bowl. In another shallow bowl, combine 1/2 cup flour, cornmeal, salt, and pepper. Put eggs in another bowl. Season tomato slices with salt and pepper. Dredge in flour; dip into eggs, letting excess drip off. Dredge in cornmeal mix. Place on plate.
• In deep saute pan over medium heat, warm 1/2 cup oil and 3 tablespoons pancetta fat. Fry tomatoes in batches, turning once, until golden, 2-3 minutes per side. Add more fat to pan as needed.
• Preheat electric panini press. Brush one side of each bread slice with olive oil. Lay slices, oiled side down, on panini griddle/wok surface. Place cheese on half of slices; top with pancetta, 2 or 3 tomato slices, and one of the other bread slices, oiled side up. Cook sandwiches on panini press until bread is golden and cheese is melted, 3-5 minutes. Transfer to cutting board. Place 1/4 cup arugula inside each sandwich; cut in half.
• Serve and savor!