Fried Green Tomato Martini
Vodka
Green tomatoes
1/2 lemon
Breadcrumbs
Salt & pepper
Paprika
Tabasco
To make the tomato liquid, start by chopping the tomatoes into 1-inch pieces. Place them in the bottom of a shaker with about 1 tbs. of pepper and 1 1/2 tbs. of salt. Mash the tomato with a muddler (or the back of a spoon) until it is a chunky-watery-applesauce consistency. Add 1/4 cup of vodka and the juice of 1/2 a lemon to the mixture to get the extraction process started.
Cut a 3-ply area of cheesecloth big enough to fit over the vessel you chose to use. Secure the cheesecloth with an elastic band. Pour the tomato mash into the makeshift strainer and allow to sit for about 20 minutes.
Making the rim. Preheat your oven to 250 degrees. In a shallow dish, mix a few grinds of salt and pepper, bread crumbs, and paprika. I used an Italian seasoned style, but you can use any breadcrumbs you like. Avoid cornmeal. Even the finest cornmeal becomes too firm when finished in the oven. Wet the rim of the glass with your finger and place in the breadcrumb mixture. I like to leave it unmixed so it creates an interesting contrast on the rim of the glass. Carefully place the glass in the oven for 6-8 minutes. Allow to fully cool on the counter.
While your glass is cooling. Squeeze out any remaining liquid from the tomato sack. Place this in a chilled shaker with the vodka and 2 dashes of Tabasco sauce. Shake with ice. Be extremely careful not to disturb the rim.
The tart, perfectly seasoned liquid is identical to the flavor of the classic dish. Enjoy that Southern fried buzz.
