An Enticing Take on the Wonderful BLT!
Every once-in-a-while I get an email from www.yummly.com with really enticing information. Just in today came an article from them by Marrekus and Krysten Wilkes (food bloggers and recipe developers from Maryland; see their blog Cooks with Soul).
Their topic is how to take your BLT to a whole new level. How do they suggest we do that? “Adding in crispy, golden-brown fried green tomatoes is the secret that takes this sandwich to the next level.” Now that’s enticing!
They go on to relate how when growing up in the south, fried green tomatoes were a big deal (though not as well known in the rest of the country as they are now). The tradition was to always pick a few tomatoes from the home garden before they fully ripened. Marrekus says “The green tomatoes’ tang and saltiness adds their own natural seasoning, and when you include some cornmeal and a few other spices, you truly have a special dish.”
Typically, when folks fried the green tomatoes, which turned out crispy and golden brown, they weren’t used for sandwiches. Instead, they would be paired with eggs and bacon for breakfast, or with cold cuts for lunch, and or with fried chicken and a pot of purple hull peas for dinner.
Marrekus, being a true food explorer, wondered how these delicacies would work on a sandwich. And knowing first-hand how well they went with bacon, incorporating them into a BLT seemed a logical idea.
While you can find an heirloom tomato that’s actually green when ripe, that isn’t what you want for this sandwich. As mentioned above, you just want a regular tomato that’s picked before it reaches its full ripeness. Why? Because of its firm texture and delicious tangy flavor. And honestly, once fried, they stand alone; you cannot go wrong eating green tomatoes. But as Marrekus insists, swapping them out for the traditional BLT’s ripe red tomato is a stroke of brilliance.
Marrekus next advocates for thick-cut bacon. Something about having thick-cut bacon on these sandwiches makes every bite more filling. Regular will work, of course, but thick is a sandwich distinguisher!
As your bacon is frying, you’ll be coating the tomatoes in a little flour then dipping each slice in buttermilk (Marrekus suggests: with a smidge of hot sauce mixed in) and beaten egg. You’ll dip the tomatoes in this mixture twice and finish them off with a coating of cornmeal (with some granulated onion and garlic powder added to it). Do all this to taste and don’t hesitate to play around and add whatever spices you like. That’s the beauty of this sandwich—it responds well to your creative flair.
Another MUST is thick-cut white sandwich bread. Choosing the right bread is key to building the perfect BLT, no matter what type of tomato you use. Just remember that you want a bread that will toast evenly and be able to stand up to the juiciness of the tomatoes and the crunch of the bacon.
Then there’s the L in the BLT. Marrekus prefers large, soft, butter lettuce. It offers the perfect coverage and mild flavor that doesn’t compete with the bacon or tomatoes.
Finally, polish it off with a spread. Proverbial mayonnaise or a favorite mustard. It all works. Experiment a little and have fun creating your own enticing take on the wonderful BLT!
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Their topic is how to take your BLT to a whole new level. How do they suggest we do that? “Adding in crispy, golden-brown fried green tomatoes is the secret that takes this sandwich to the next level.” Now that’s enticing!
They go on to relate how when growing up in the south, fried green tomatoes were a big deal (though not as well known in the rest of the country as they are now). The tradition was to always pick a few tomatoes from the home garden before they fully ripened. Marrekus says “The green tomatoes’ tang and saltiness adds their own natural seasoning, and when you include some cornmeal and a few other spices, you truly have a special dish.”
Typically, when folks fried the green tomatoes, which turned out crispy and golden brown, they weren’t used for sandwiches. Instead, they would be paired with eggs and bacon for breakfast, or with cold cuts for lunch, and or with fried chicken and a pot of purple hull peas for dinner.
Marrekus, being a true food explorer, wondered how these delicacies would work on a sandwich. And knowing first-hand how well they went with bacon, incorporating them into a BLT seemed a logical idea.
While you can find an heirloom tomato that’s actually green when ripe, that isn’t what you want for this sandwich. As mentioned above, you just want a regular tomato that’s picked before it reaches its full ripeness. Why? Because of its firm texture and delicious tangy flavor. And honestly, once fried, they stand alone; you cannot go wrong eating green tomatoes. But as Marrekus insists, swapping them out for the traditional BLT’s ripe red tomato is a stroke of brilliance.
Marrekus next advocates for thick-cut bacon. Something about having thick-cut bacon on these sandwiches makes every bite more filling. Regular will work, of course, but thick is a sandwich distinguisher!
As your bacon is frying, you’ll be coating the tomatoes in a little flour then dipping each slice in buttermilk (Marrekus suggests: with a smidge of hot sauce mixed in) and beaten egg. You’ll dip the tomatoes in this mixture twice and finish them off with a coating of cornmeal (with some granulated onion and garlic powder added to it). Do all this to taste and don’t hesitate to play around and add whatever spices you like. That’s the beauty of this sandwich—it responds well to your creative flair.
Another MUST is thick-cut white sandwich bread. Choosing the right bread is key to building the perfect BLT, no matter what type of tomato you use. Just remember that you want a bread that will toast evenly and be able to stand up to the juiciness of the tomatoes and the crunch of the bacon.
Then there’s the L in the BLT. Marrekus prefers large, soft, butter lettuce. It offers the perfect coverage and mild flavor that doesn’t compete with the bacon or tomatoes.
Finally, polish it off with a spread. Proverbial mayonnaise or a favorite mustard. It all works. Experiment a little and have fun creating your own enticing take on the wonderful BLT!
Sources:
- www.happymouth.ca
- www.pinchandswirl.com
- www.cooksillustrated.com
- www.target.com
- www.yummly.com
Alice Osborne
DVO Newsletter Contributor since 2006
Email the author! alice@dvo.com
