54 | DECEMBER 2 • 2021
I
grow a variety of tomato
in my garden called a
“Pineapple tomato.
” They’re
naturally large, and my habits
around fertilizing and plant
location make
for even bigger
tomatoes when
they finally ripen
toward the end
of August. (The
plants, though,
are still yielding
new fruits as I
write this in October.) They’re a
delightful true heirloom varietal,
sweet and juicy; splitting easily if
not cared for properly (and even
when cared for!) and leaning
heavily as the tomatoes grow
large on their not-all-that-hardy
stems.
This sort of tomato, in
culinary terms, is often called
a “slicer” tomato, noted for the
solid internal structure (more
tomato flesh, less open seed
area) and large size making
for nice slices on sandwiches,
burgers, etc.
I particularly like to fry these
slices up, breaded, and serve
them with a garlic aioli or a
good savory sauce (tomato or
otherwise) that will complement
the sweetness of the tomato.
Chef Aaron
Egan
FOOD
FROM THE HOME KITCHEN OF CHEF AARON
TOMATO MILANESE
Yield: as many tomatoes as
you want to eat
Ingredients
Large, steaky tomatoes (like Pineapple
tomatoes), ripe or green
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
All-purpose flour
Eggs
Breadcrumbs
Vegetable oil
Directions
Slice the tomatoes about ¼-½ inch
thick. Cut along the latitude lines, not
the longitudes; if you need to split
a particularly large tomato in half
from stem to bud, you can do that,
but they’re good to work with large
as well. Dice the very bottom of the
tomato for salad and core out the
top few slices to get rid of any tough
green or white parts.
Lay the tomato slices on a rack
above a sheet pan with sides. Season
them heavily with salt and freshly
ground black pepper. Flip the slices
over and coat the other side similarly.
Allow to sit for 15-20 minutes, or up to
an hour in the fridge.
Pour breadcrumbs in an even layer
on a sheet pan lined with parchment
paper. Toast in a 200°F oven, stirring
frequently and watching carefully,
until they’re just starting to crisp up.
Remove from the oven and allow
to cool to room temperature before
moving them into a bowl. Season
with salt and pepper, and some dried
herbs, if you like.
Prepare a breading station: Pour
a cup or two of flour onto a plate or
shallow dish. Season with salt and
pepper and mix well. Beat together
a couple eggs (for one or two larg-
er tomatoes) and place the beaten
eggs in a shallow dish. Place a cup
or two of the toasted and seasoned
breadcrumbs into a shallow dish
and arrange them in order flour-egg-
breadcrumbs.
Perform the following sequence:
Coat the tomato slices thoroughly in
the flour, shake off as much excess
as you can, then dip them into the
egg. Remove them from the egg,
allow excess to drip off, and make
sure it’s coated completely. Dip back
into the flour to double-coat them,
shake off excess, then back into the
egg. Remove from the egg and allow
excess to drip off. Once again, ensure
that there’s egg all over the tomato
slice, then (finally!) place it into the
breadcrumbs.
Coat the tomato completely in
breadcrumbs, then place it carefully
onto a dry rack and allow to set for
a few minutes before storing up to
overnight in a sealed container. Two
nights might be pushing it.
Prepare a landing zone for your
tomatoes by placing a rack over a
sheet pan. Heat a frying pan large
enough to hold your largest tomato
slice over medium-high heat and pour
in your cooking oil to create about
⅛ inch of oil in the pan. When the oil
is shimmering on the surface, gently
slip a tomato slice into the pan. Shake
the pan back and forth gently as the
bubbles begin to rise from the bread-
crumb bottom to keep it from sticking,
and when it’s turned a nice golden
brown around the edges, carefully
flip it over with a spatula. Fry until the
other side is browned, and if need be,
flip once or twice to finish browning
evenly.
Immediately remove cooked toma-
toes from the pan and place them on
the cooling rack for a moment or two.
Immediately season the tomatoes on
both sides with a little bit of kosher
salt and fresh black pepper. Serve
promptly with aioli, tomato sauce, a
salad of endives with vinaigrette, or
even ranch dressing if you’re feeling
that sort of mood. Enjoy the fruits of
your garden!
Tomato
Milanese