Green tomato fritters with bacon mayonnaise Recipe
Ingredients
300g fine semolina or cornmeal
½ tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 medium free-range eggs
50ml whole milk
100g plain flour
4 medium/large green tomatoes, thickly sliced
200ml vegetable oil for frying
For the bacon mayonnaise
2 streaky smoked bacon rashers
1 large free-range egg yolk
1/2 tsp dijon mustard
1/2 tbsp white wine vinegar
150ml vegetable oil
100ml olive oil
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp chopped pickled jalapeño chillies
Ingredient ending
PREP TIME
50m
COOK TIME
20m
TOTAL TIME
1h10m
YIELD Serves 4, with leftover mayo
Instructions
For the mayonnaise, heat the grill to high. Grill the bacon for 4-5 minutes on each side until golden and crisp. Cool, then finely chop. Put the bacon, egg yolk, mustard and vinegar in a medium mixing bowl and whisk using a balloon whisk until pale and fluffy. Pour in the oils in a very slow, steady stream, whisking continuously. Continue to whisk until the mayonnaise becomes thick and glossy. Taste, season and stir in the smoked paprika and chopped pickled jalapeños. Put the mayonnaise into a container, cover and set aside in the fridge.
Mix the semolina/cornmeal with the oregano, garlic powder and some salt and pepper in a shallow bowl. Whisk the eggs and milk in another shallow bowl. Season the flour and put in a third shallow bowl.
Heat the oven to 160°C/140°C fan/gas 3. Slice the tomatoes 0.5-1cm thick. Coat them in the flour, then dip in the egg mixture and finally the semolina/cornmeal. Put on a baking tray and repeat with the rest of the tomato slices until they’re all used up.
Heat the oil in a deep frying pan over a medium-high heat and, when hot, carefully lower a few tomato slices into the hot oil (they should sizzle when they hit the oil in the pan). Cook in batches, so the oil doesn’t cool down. Cook for about 31/2 minutes, flip over and cook for 2 minutes on the other side until golden brown and crisp. Keep them warm in the oven while you cook the rest. Season and serve with the bacon mayonnaise.