Ingredients
- 1/2 Cup Panko bread crumbs
- 1/4 Cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 Cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- To taste salt and black pepper
- 4 Heirloom tomato slices - slight firm texture, about 1/3-1/2” thick
- 2 Eggs – beaten with 2 Tbsp. H20 until liquid in texture
- As needed vegetable oil for frying
- 8 Fresh basil leaves
- 1/2 Cup Ricotta cheese
- 1/2 Cup mozzarella cheese - shredded
Preparation
- In a shallow dish, combine the bread crumbs, flour, Parmesan cheese, mix thoroughly seasoning to taste with salt and black pepper.
- Dip the tomato slices in the beaten egg white one at a time and then dredge both sides in the bread crumb mixture, gently pressing to adhere.
- Heat a saute pan on medium high heat. Add enough vegetable oil to the pan to come up about halfway of the height of the tomato slices. Check for proper temperature by adding a pinch of the bread crumbs. They should moderately sizzle. Add the tomato slices (number depends on the pan using). Do not over crowd. Let fry for about 1 minute or until golden. Carefully flip over and repeat. Remove from the oil and let drain on paper towels.
- Place the fried tomato slices on a greased cookie sheet and top each slice with 1 basil leaf. Top each slice with 2 Tbsp. of the Ricotta cheese and divide the mozzarella over the four slices. Bake in a 350◦f oven for about 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Garnish each slice with the remaining basil leaves. Enjoy!
Lincoln Culinary Institute’s Website: www.lincolnculinary.com
