Fried green tomatoes with buttermilk dipping sauce

Shave off the smooth skin over the blossom end, then lay each tomato on its side and slice about a quarter inch thick (thinner for very underripe tomatoes).

Salt the slices and add a little sugar to draw out water; coat everything and leave 20 minutes.

Dipping sauce: two parts mayo to one part buttermilk, lime juice, plenty of pepper and some hot sauce; stir, taste and adjust.

Set up the breading: Wondra for the first dusting; egg white and buttermilk beaten together for the wet stage; Wondra, cornmeal, a little baking powder, garlic powder, onion powder, dried mustard, paprika, black pepper and torn parsley for the outer coat.

Heat a thick coating of bacon fat in the pan over medium heat for shallow frying.

Dry the weeped slices thoroughly, dust lightly in Wondra, dip in the wet stage, then the outer dry stage, coating crudely so it stays light and patchy.

Fry until softened a little and browned, two or three minutes on each side; err on the side of less so the flesh stays a little crisp.

Drain about a minute and eat right away, with hot sauce dabbed into the dip and not stirred in.