Fried Red and Yellow Tomatoes

Still enjoying a plethora of juicy, fragrant tomatoes. The type one just dreams about in February. I've heard of fried green tomatoes, but never fried ripe tomatoes - so I decided to give it a try.




First:


Rinse and slice tomatoes into nice thick slices. Layer slices on paper towels to drain excess moisture. Pat the top dry as well.






Second:

beat together one egg with a splash of water.





Third:

Preheat a pan to medium-high. I used olive oil as my fat - enough to coat the whole bottom of the pan with a thin layer.

(sorry no picture - messing with hot oil never helps me remember to pick up my camera)

Fourth:

mix together bread crumbs (I prefer panko), a couple tablespoons of flour, salt, pepper and possibly other seasoning (I added a bit of ancho chili powder).




(on a side note, my friend Sarah told me you can put leftover bread into a blender to make bread crumbs - so obvious but yet it never occured to me!)



Fifth:

Dip a slice of tomato in the egg mixture, then dip both sides in the crumb mixture, and into the frying pan. Repeat with other slices until pan is full. Wait about five minutes and fry other side.


It turned out pretty well. Because fresh tomatoes are softer, you'll need a spatula (not just tongs) to get the tomatoes out of the pan. I served with a piece of steak. The red and yellow color added visual interest to the plate.