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

