24. BACON, LETTUCE, and FRIED GREEN TOMATO SANDWICH

serves four


8 slices thick-cut bacon
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup stone-ground cornmeal
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 cup milk
1/4 cup olive oil, plus more if necessary
8 slices (1/4 inch thick) green tomatoes
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon chili sauce
8 slices rye bread, lightly toasted
2 large bunches arugula, rough stems removed, leaves rinsed and patted dry

Cook in the bacon in a nonstick skillet over medium heat until just browned and crisp, 6 minutes on the first side and 2 minutes on the second. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel to drain, and set aside. Strain the bacon fat into a cup, and wipe out the skillet with a paper towel.

Combine the flour, cornmeal, salt, and pepper in a medium-size bowl. Add the milk and stir well. The mixture should resemble pancake batter.

Add the olive oil to the cleaned skillet along with the strained bacon fat, and place it over medium-high heat. Working in batches, dip the tomato slices in the batter, letting the excess drip back into the bowl, and fry them until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Add more olive oil to the pan if necessary. Drain the tomatoes on paper towels.

Stir the mayonnaise and the chili sauce together in a small bowl.

To serve, spread one side of each slice of toast with about 1 1/2 teaspoons of the mayonnaise mixture. Lay 2 slices of bacon over each of 4 slices of toast. Cover the bacon with 2 fried tomato slices, and top evenly with arugula. Cover with the remaining 4 slices of toast, mayonnaise side down. Cut in half and serve immediately.


courtesy of: USA Cookbook by Sheila Lukins. New York: Workman Publishing Company, Inc. (708 Broadway, NYC 10003-9555), 1997, pp. 129-130