One Flavorful Swap Gives Traditional Chicken Parm A Southern-Style Twist

Unless you're from the American South, the first thing that comes to mind when you hear "fried green tomatoes" is just as likely to be the heartstring-tugging 1991 movie as it is a swap for the protein in one of the classics of Italian-American cuisine: chicken Parmesan. Yet this is one of those simple culinary maneuvers that makes more sense the more you think about it. The next time you're in the mood for chicken Parm, give it a Southern-style twist by making this flavorful swap.

Even if you didn't grow up deep in red sauce territory, you probably know what chicken Parmesan is: fried, breaded chicken breast, slathered with marinara sauce and cheese, and baked into gooey, crispy perfection. Fried green tomatoes are unripe red tomatoes — hence the color, but also the firmness. These tomatoes are dredged in seasoned cornmeal and deep-fried without turning to mush, leaving the exterior golden-brown and the interior soft and tangy. 

It should be clear why, as suggested in the 16 unique ways to serve fried green tomatoes, they make such an excellent stand-in for the chicken in a chicken Parm: the crunchy exterior surrounding a tender interior, coupled with two distinct yet complementary tomato flavors. All you need to do is prepare the fried green tomatoes in place of your chicken, and otherwise follow your preferred chicken parm recipe without further alteration.

Green tomato Parm isn't the first time the tomatoes have been transported between geographic cuisines. They may have been adopted enthusiastically by the South, but they did not originate there. Fried green tomatoes became a Southern staple thanks to Jewish immigrants who arrived in the Northeast and the Midwest. The South's embrace of these crispy delights is a relatively recent phenomenon. It can be attributed almost entirely to the huge and unexpected success of the 1991 movie, "Fried Green Tomatoes," which became one of the region's cultural touchstones.

When thinking about how to serve your fried green tomato parm, you'll face the same quandary as with the chicken version: Are you in the mood for pasta or a sandwich? If you go with the latter, it is best to choose a sturdy bread like ciabatta, which won't disintegrate from its heavily sauced contents. If you opt for pasta, your options are far wider. If you are the kind of carnivore who really needs some meat on your plate, you could spike your marinara sauce with pancetta, or boost the Southern influence even further by adding in some Cajun spice mix.