Fried Green Tomatoes & Crab Cake Napoleon

~As a disclaimer, this post is essentially just a recipe for fried green tomatoes with ideas on pairing together other recipe posts on this site to make a composed dish. Links to crab cakes and herb vinaigrette here. I love the textures of crunchy corn meal, the slight tartness of green tomatoes, fresh herb flavors, and of course the sweet crab flavors. A good handful of peppery arugula brings it all together.

Ingredients:

2 large green tomatoes

1 large egg

½ cup butter milk

1 cup tapioca starch or flour

¼ cup cornmeal

¼ cup bread crumbs

2 tsp sea salt

¼ tsp fresh ground pepper

¼ tsp cayenne

1 pinch onion powder

1 pinch granulated garlic

vegetable oil

arugula

Directions:

1. In a skillet or pan with inverted sides, pour about ½” of oil. Set heat on medium.
2. Slice tomatoes 1/2 inch thick. Discard the ends.
3. 1 three shallow bowls, combine together in pairs: egg and butter milk, starch and seasonings, bread crumbs and corn meal.
4. Heat to about 375 degrees.
5. In batches, dip tomato slices in starch, then milk/egg, and then breadcrumbs/cornmeal. Make sure to cover completely and then slowly lower into oil.
6. Depending on the size of skillet, do this in small batches until complete. Avoid crowding to ensure even cooking. 
7. Once tomato slices are golden, turn and fry until golden.
8. Drain on paper towels.

*Assembling the dish:

1. Cook the crab cakes according to link.
2. Make herb vinaigrette according to link.
3. Alternate tomato slices with arugula and crab cakes, then drizzle with vinaigrette. Serve immediately.