Tuesday, July 26, 2016

Fried Green Tomatoes Napoleon

We were visiting the small town of Twin Lakes, Colorado. It's on one of the routes to Aspen.
It's so small that if you blink your eyes, you may very well miss it. It was a Pony Express stop back in the days of the Old West.
It's quite charming and has an Inn that's well over 100 years old. The majority of the original Log structure is still part of the Lodge.



We stopped in to have a drink and looked at the menu, not really intending to eat.
However, when I read about the Fried Green Tomatoes Napoleon appetizer, I knew we had to try them.
They don't share the recipe so I decided to dissect it and re create it for the Blog.




I start with my favorite recipe for Fried Green Tomatoes:

Fried Green Tomatoes:
(The amount of ingredients will alter, based on the number of servings you need to make.)

2 Large Green Tomatoes, sliced 1/2" thick.
Salt and Pepper to taste.
Buttermilk
1/4 C Vegetable Oil for frying
1 C Cornmeal
1/4 C Flour
1/2 tsp of Cajun Seasoning




An option for the Cajun Seasoning.



Another option for the Cajun  Seasoning.



This is the Cajun Seasoning I use.











Season both sides of the Tomato slices with Salt and Pepper.
Place them on the paper towel lined rack and allow them to sit for at least 5 minutes.

Put them in a shallow Bowl and cover completely with Buttermilk.

In a Large Cast Iron Skillet on Medium Heat: (or a Cast Iron Dutch Oven)
Oil, enough for Frying.
Heat the oil.

In a Shallow Bowl:
Flour
Cornmeal
Seasoning
Whisk well.

Dredge the Tomatoes in the Cornmeal/Flour mix.
Coat both sides and the edges.
Gently place them in the Hot Oil. Do them in batches so they're not crowded.
Fry for 5 - 8 minutes on each side, until Golden Brown.
When each batch is fried, put them on a Foil lined Sheet Pan in a 250 degree Oven to keep them warm until all slices are fried.
Keep them Warm until ready to assemble.

Here are the other Main Ingredients you'll need to finish the dish.

A Container of Ricotta Cheese
A Jar of your favorite Marinara Sauce
Grated Parmesan Cheese
Chopped Fresh Basil


Assemble the Napoleons:



Spread a bit of Marinara Sauce on a Serving Platter.
Top it with the Fried Green Tomato Slices, in a row.
Add additional Marinara Sauce.
Place a Dollop of Ricotta over each Tomato.
Add additional Marinara Sauce.
Sprinkle with Grated Parmesan Cheese.
Sprinkle evenly with Chopped Fresh Basil.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

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