Recipes

Fried Green Tomatoes with Warm Curried Crab Salad

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This recipe pairs a Southern classic with a flavorful twist on a traditional crab salad.

By Dawn Burrell
Jul 19, 2022
90 Minutes
4 Servings
Medium

This summery recipe, courtesy of Houston-based Chef Dawn Burrell, pairs traditional Southern fare with a flavorful twist. Fresh green tomatoes are fried to crispy, golden brown perfection, then served alongside a warm, curried crab salad.

This recipe requires a bit of multitasking, but it all comes together beautifully in the end to make a stunning lunch, dinner, or appetizer. The Scotch bonnet chile pepper called for in the vinaigrette can be substituted with a habanero. Fonio, a type of West African grain from the millet family, can be found online.

Fried Green Tomatoes with Warm Curried Crab Salad

This recipe pairs a Southern classic with a flavorful twist on a traditional crab salad.

Dawn Burrell

90 Minutes
4 Servings
Medium
Ingredients
  • For the Fried Green Tomatoes:
  • 4 medium green tomatoes (about 1–1 ½ pounds)
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon gochugaru (Korean chile powder), or any mild chile powder
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup raw fonio
  • 1 cup panko
  • 1 quart neutral frying oil (such as canola or vegetable oil)
  • For the Vadouvan Vinaigrette:
  • 1 small shallot, thinly sliced
  • 1 scallion, thinly sliced on a bias
  • ½ Scotch bonnet or habanero chile, seeded, deveined, minced
  • 1 inch fresh ginger, finely grated
  • 1 tablespoon Vadouvan curry powder
  • Kosher salt
  • ¼ cup coconut oil
  • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon plus 1 ½ teaspoons lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon cane vinegar (such as Steen’s), or apple cider vinegar
  • For the Crab Salad:
  • 1 pound jumbo lump crabmeat
  • 3 small sweet peppers, thinly sliced
  • 12 leaves Thai basil, torn
  • 3 ounces (about ¾ cup) sweet pear tomatoes or other small, sweet tomatoes
  • 1 ounces (about ¾ cup) sweet pear tomatoes or other small, sweet tomatoes
  • Pinch kosher salt
Instructions
    1.

    Fry the Green Tomatoes:

    Using a Chef Knife, cut tomatoes crosswise into ⅓” thick slices. In a small bowl, combine salt, gochugaru, and black pepper and season both sides of tomato slices with salt mixture. Season with pepper.

    2.

    Beat eggs and water together in a large bowl. Add flour to a second large bowl. Combine fonio and panko in a third large bowl. Season all 3 bowls with salt.

    3.

    Fill a 3.5QT Saute Pan about one-third of the way with oil and heat over medium-high until the temperature reaches 350F.

    4.

    Dredge tomato slices in eggs, then flour, then the fonio mixture.

    5.

    Working in batches, fry green tomatoes on each side until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side, adjusting the temperature as needed.

    6.

    Make the Vadouvan Vinaigrette:

    Place shallot, scallion, Scotch bonnet, ginger, and Vadouvan curry powder in a medium bowl. Add salt to taste. Stir to combine and set aside.

    7.

    In a Stainless Clad Butter Warmer or 2QT Saucepan, heat coconut and olive oil over medium-high until the temperature reaches 320F.

    8.

    Carefully pour hot oil over curry-spiced aromatics. Stir gently to distribute the oil.

    9.

    Season with lime juice and cane vinegar. Makes about 1 ¼ cups.

    10.

    Place crabmeat in a medium bowl and check for and discard any remaining shell particles.

    11.

    Gently fold sweet peppers and ¼ cup of warm Vadouvan Vinaigrette into the crab meat. Season with salt. Top with tomatoes and basil and season with lime juice. Drizzle with additional dressing and season with salt, if desired.

    12.

    Place the fried green tomatoes on a Serving Platter and top with dressed crab salad. Serve warm.

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