18. MISSISSIPPI BACON SANDWICH with MILKY TOMATO GRAVY

serves four


4 large red-ripe but not mushy-soft tomatoes
1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt or more to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly milled black pepper or more to taste
1/2 teaspoon onion or garlic powder, optional
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper or more to taste
8 to 12 thick slices of bacon
Vegetable oil, optional
1 1/4 cups milk
1/4 cup half-and-half or heavy (whipping) cream or additional milk
4 large slices white toast
Minced fresh parsley, basil, or thyme

You want 8 really nice slices out of the middle of the tomatoes, 1/3 to 1/2 inch thick. Once you have cut the slices, chop the remaining tomato pieces into bite-size bits. Reserve the tomato slices and the chopped tomatoes with their juice.

Stir the flour, salt, pepper, onion powder if desired, and cayenne together in a shallow bowl.

Fry the bacon in a large heavy skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium heat until brown and crisp. (Go for the greater number of slices if you guests are real bacon fans). Remove the bacon and drain it. You will want about 1/4 cup fat to fry the tomatoes and make the gravy. You can use just bacon drippings, pouring off any extra, or use a portion of the drippings and oil to equal the proper amount.

Dredge the tomato slices in the seasoned flour, reserving at least 1 tablespoon of the flour. Fry the tomatoes in the skillet over medium heat until the coating is golden brown and crisp, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove the tomatoes carefully with a spatula or slotted spoon. Keep them warm while you prepare the gravy.

Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the seasoned flour into the pan drippings, stirring to prevent lumps. Pour in the milk and half-and-half slowly, frequently stirring up from the bottom, scraping up the browned bits. Stir in the chopped tomatoes and juice and continue cooking for 3 to 5 minutes, until thick and burnished red-brown in color. Adjust the seasoning.

Arrange a toast slice on each plate and top with 2 side-by-side fried tomato slices. Place the bacon over the tomatoes. Spoon a few tablespoons of gravy over the top of each open-face sandwich and sprinkle with parsley. Serve the remaining gravy on the side.

courtesy of: A Real American Breakfast by Cheryl Alters Jamison & Bill Jamison. New York: William Morrow (HarperCollins Publishers Inc., 10 East 53rd Street, NYC, 10022), 2002, p. 246-247