Tag Archive for 'deep fried'

Cheesy fried green tomatoes

Published
by
marc
on June 10, 2008
in Breakfast, Brunch, Vegetable and Vegetarian
. 23 Comments

I picked these green tomatoes up at the farmer’s market this weekend with every intention of turning them into a nice light tomato mint sorbet. Instead, I woke up Sunday morning with a hankerin’ fer some fried green ta’maters.

I guess I should have known this was going to happen when I bought them, and bought some extras. Hopefully they’ll still have some more this week so I can make my sorbet. Roasted green tomatoes also make fantastic salsa, and I love green tomato chutney’s and jams.

Given the big fuss over raw tomatoes, I guess it’s only appropriate that I deep fried the little bastards. Though in all fairness to these Lycopene rich fruits, I’m guessing the salmonella outbreaks are a result of bad farming and people/restaurants not properly washing the tomatoes.

Because they’re not fully ripe, green tomatoes are tart, dense and perfect for frying as they have less moisture and hold their shape. This recipe will yield fragrant disks with thick savory crusts and a tart, tender interior. They’re fantastic with a soft poached egg on top, and if you want to go for the full heart attack, make a cream and sausage gravy to pour on top (I call this Southern Eggs Benedict).
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Kasha corn fritters (vegan)

Published
by
marc
on April 19, 2008
in Appetizer, Vegan and Vegetarian
. 10 Comments

Being a meat eater these days seems a bit like being a smoker 20 years ago (still socially accepted, but something that meat eaters are starting to feel guilty about). I know I’ve been posting a lot of meat dishes lately, so consider this recipe this week’s mia culpa (something I’m sure I’ll be doing with some frequency).

These shallow fried fritter’s are crispy on the outside and soft and spicy on the inside with little bursts of sweet crispy corn. Because there is no flour or egg to bind it all together it’s very delicate, but what it lacks in cohesiveness it makes up in a wonderful soft crumbly texture on the inside. I suppose this may also qualify as gluten-free, though I’m no expert.

If you can get your hands on fresh curry leaves, they add a wonderful fresh aroma that’s a bit hard to describe. I got a bag from a co-worker who picked them up at a spice market here in Manhattan. They shouldn’t be confused with “curry powder” as they are not related. Curry powder, as it turns out, is a British blend of spices created to approximate the taste of “Indian food”… who knew?

2 C cooked kasha (make it with a little extra water)
1/2 C fresh corn (or well drained canned/frozen corn)
6-8 small fresh curry leaves cut into a chiffonade (optional)
1 serrano or jalepeno pepper seeded and minced
1/4 C minced onion
2 tsp Garam Masala
1/2 tsp kosher salt
fresh ground black pepper

oil for frying

When cooking the kasha, make sure you add some extra water (how much will depend on the type of kasha you’re making). The idea is to get it to a soft state where it turns into a paste as you stir it. I know, this sound unappealing but it’s essential to get the ingredients to bind into patties and the frying will fix the texture. If it’s not pasty enough, try adding a bit more water and cooking for a little longer.

Mix all the ingredients together until it forms a rough paste.

Heat a pan over medium heat adding a thin layer of oil that’s thick enough to cover the bottom of the pan. When the oil is hot, form a ball of kasha mixture between your palms then squish it flat making sure all the edges are sticking together.

Gently place this in the hot oil. Be very careful as the corn will have a tendency to pop, splattering hot oil everywhere (if you have a spatter shield, it might be a good idea to use it). Repeat with the rest of the kasha until the pan is full. Wait until you see the sides of the fritters turn golden brown, then using 2 spatula’s (1 on top, 1 on the bottom), flip the fritters over cooking until the second side is well browned. You mean need to clean up the floaties in the oil between batches so they don’t burn.

Remove to a plate lined with several layers of paper towels and allow to drain. Serve immediately. I served them with some Thai sweet chili sauce and a mint yogurt sauce (1/4 C plain yogurt, 1 Tbs minced mint)

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Wiener Schnitzel (Veal Schnitzel)

Published
by
marc
on April 18, 2008
in Dinner and Veal
. 8 Comments

Some of you may know this as a crisp light dish that’s moist and flavorful. Others may have less pleasant memories of greasy, soggy cardboard that’s only made edible by drowning it with condiments. If the later sounds familiar, then I urge you to read on and give this simple dish a try in your own kitchen.

I say simple because it took me about 30 minutes to make, and you probably already have all the ingredients you need to make it in your pantry (aside from the veal). Best of all, you get to beat the living daylights out of a piece of meat with a blunt instrument (what better way to end a stressful work day?)

I wanted to infuse an extra boost of flavor into it so I worked in some grated onion into the meat before breading. The result is a thin, tender piece of veal bursting with flavor surrounded by a perfect shell of savory breadcrumbs. A squish of lemon and some briny capers on top make this a light dish that would go equally well with a salad or some boiled potatoes.

4 veal cutlets trimmed of any excess fat
1/4 small onion grated on a Microplane
fresh ground black pepper
kosher salt
flour for dusting
1 egg beaten
plain breadcrumbs for breading (make sure they’re either unsalted or lightly salted)
oil for frying

Put a cutlet down on a solid surface then cover with a double layer of plastic wrap. Using a wide mallet (I just use one out of my tool box) or a heavy bottomed pan, pound the meat evenly until about 1/8″ thick all around. Rub some of the grated onion into both sides. Repeat with with the other pieces.

Salt and pepper the cutlets (go easy on the salt, the meat is thin and the breadcrumb may already have salt) then dust them in flour. Get 2 shallow bowls ready, one with the beaten egg and one with some breadcrumbs. Dip the meat into the egg first making sure you cover every bit of the cutlet, then put it in the breadcrumbs. Get some breadcrumbs both above and below the cutlet then use your hand to press the breadcrumbs into the meat. you should have a nice even coating of breadcrumbs with no “bald spots”. Repeat with the rest of the cutlets.

In a heavy bottomed frying pan, heat about 1/8″ of oil until hot (you can test by dropping a breadcrumb into the oil, it should sizzle and float to the top quickly). Fry 1 or 2 cutlets at a time (depending on the size of your cutlets and pan). Wait till you see the edges turn golden then gently flip it over using tongs and fry till the other side is golden. Get a plate or wire rack with 3 layers of paper towels ready and transfer the cooked cutlets to the paper towel lined plate as they finish.

Serve immediately with some capers and a wedge of lemon.

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