Recipe

Fried Green Tomato Sliders

A New Orleans chef’s handheld version of the iconic Southern hors d’oeuvre
Two fried green tomato sliders on a white plate against a red background

Photo: Katherine Kimball

When Chris Borges, executive chef at New Orleans’ vibrant Virgin Hotel, was cooking up a playful new dish for the on-site Commons Club, he envisioned a combination of two crowd-pleasers: sliders and fried green tomatoes. “With the Super Bowl in New Orleans, I wanted to create a slider that is Southern in inspiration,” says Borges. “Plus, I wanted to make a vegetarian slider, as almost all sliders tend to be so meat-centric that the whole genre excludes vegetarians.”

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With the addition of mustardy fennel chow chow and pecan romesco sauce, the sliders are tangy, rich, sweet, and savory all in one bite. As a nod to the chef’s New Orleans roots, pecans replace classic almonds in the romesco, while the chow chow’s anise notes spotlight a prevalent regional flavor. Both condiments riff beautifully with fish, pork, or veggies, and the romesco even moonlights as a zesty seafood dip. 

“To me these sliders are the perfect party food for the new South,” Borges says. “They’re not completely stuck in the past, as would be with a fried green tomato slider paired with pimento cheese, but a contemporary take.” 

Since the green tomatoes are fried in batches, Borges recommends keeping the cooked ones warm in the oven as you work. As a timesaver, both the romesco and chow chow can be made in advance and stored in the fridge, but allow them to come to room temperature before assembling to prevent cooling the fried tomatoes. 


Ingredients

  • Fried Green Tomato Sliders (Yield: 12 sliders)

  • FOR THE FENNEL CHOW CHOW (Yield: 3–4 cups)

    • 1 cup finely chopped Napa cabbage

    • 1 cup fresh corn, off the cob

    • 1 cup diced yellow onion

    • 4 cups finely chopped fennel, bulb and stalks

    • 1 cup diced shishito peppers

    • 1 tbsp. kosher salt

    • 1¼ cups cider vinegar

    • ¾ cup water

    • ¾ cup sugar

    • ¼ tbsp. ground ginger

    • ½ tbsp. fennel seeds, toasted and ground

    • 1 tbsp. yellow mustard seeds

    • ½ tsp. ground turmeric

    • 1 tsp. crushed red pepper

  • FOR THE PECAN ROMESCO (Yield: about 1½ cups)

    • 1 slicer tomato

    • 1 large red bell pepper, roasted and peeled

    • 1 garlic clove

    • ½ cup pecan halves or pieces, toasted

    • ¼ cup tomato puree

    • 1 tbsp. chopped flat-leaf parsley

    • 2 tbsp. sherry vinegar

    • 1 tsp. smoked paprika

    • ½ tsp cayenne pepper

    • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil

    • Salt and black pepper to taste

  • FOR THE FRIED GREEN TOMATO SLIDERS (Yield: 12 sliders)

    • 4 medium green tomatoes, sliced ½-inch thick

    • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

    • 1 cup all-purpose flour

    • 3 large eggs, whisked

    • 2 cups yellow cornmeal

    • Canola oil for frying

    • 1¼ cups fennel chow chow

    • ¾ cup pecan romesco

    • ¼ cup mayonnaise

    • 12 soft mini buns, such as Martin’s, split and lightly toasted


Preparation

  1. Make the fennel chow chow: Mix all ingredients together in a pot and bring to a boil. Reduce liquid by half and allow to cool.

  2. Make the pecan romesco: Cut tomato in half and char in broiler, cut side up. Transfer to a 200°F oven (low fan) and slow roast until very wilted, approximately 3 hours; remove skin. Add all ingredients to a blender and puree until smooth.

  3. Fry the green tomatoes: Season the green tomatoes on both sides with salt and pepper. In separate shallow dishes, combine the flour, eggs, and cornmeal and season all three with salt and pepper.

  4. Heat a few inches of oil in a cast-iron skillet over medium heat until it begins to shimmer or a deep-frying thermometer registers 350°F. Dredge the green tomatoes in the flour, tap off the excess, and dip in the egg wash. Let the excess drip off, then dredge in the cornmeal.

  5. Fry the green tomatoes in batches until golden-brown on both sides, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels to blot excess oil and season with a bit more salt.

  6. Assemble: Schmear a tablespoon of pecan romesco on the top bun. Spread mayo on the bottom bun. Place approximately 2 tablespoons of creamy fennel chow chow over the mayo. Place a warm fried green tomato on top of the chow chow, place the top bun back on, add a toothpick, and serve. 


Emily Daily is newsletter editor at Garden & Gun. A native of Lynchburg, Virginia, she was an equestrian sports journalist for fifteen years prior to joining the magazine in 2022. She lives just outside Charleston with her photographer husband, Josh; their daughter, Indigo; two dogs, Ruby and Khaleesi; and pony, Cady.


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