The Gumbo Bros co-founder and chef, Adam Lathan, was living in New York when he realized if he wanted proper Cajun and Creole food, he’d just have to make it himself.
“And that’s when I decided to start the business,” he explains. What started with the Mobile, Alabama native cooking his favorite childhood dishes in his Brooklyn kitchen grew to a small pop-up and catering operation, with a brick-and-mortar sandwich shop in Brooklyn soon to follow. Their new location in The Gulch means Nashvillians, too, can experience the flavors and spirit of The Big Easy.
These Rice Krispies and panko-coated fried green tomatoes make multiple appearances on a menu that includes classic coastal fare like po’ boys (simply dressed on Leidenheimer Bakery bread), homemade Gumbos (with recipes passed down from Lathan’s great-grandmother, Nanny), and a collection of appetizers, sides, desserts and beverages that pay homage to the restaurant’s New Orleans’ roots. “You can serve them between bread for a sandwich, under shrimp remoulade for an app, or just eat them plain for a nice treat,” Lathan says, adding that you should “select firm, green tomatoes and cut them nice and thick.”While most of us will have to hold off for later summer to catch glimpses of green tomatoes in our own gardens, The Gumbo Bros keeps them on the menu year-round.
Fried Green Tomatoes
Courtesy of Courtesy of Adam Lathan, The Gumbo Bros
- 1 quart canola oil
- 1⁄2 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1⁄2 cup Rice Krispies
- 1 Tablespoon Cajun seasoning
- 3 to 4 green tomatoes
- 2 eggs
- 1⁄2 cup milk
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- Fine sea salt
- Freshly cracked pepper
- Bring a quart of canola oil to about 350 F in a cast iron skillet.
- In a food processor add panko, Rice Krispies, and Cajun seasoning. Blend together until fine and set aside in a small mixing bowl.
- In another small mixing bowl, whisk together the milk and eggs, add a pinch of salt, and a few cracks of black pepper.
- Core the tomatoes and cut thick slices (about 1⁄2 inch) and set in a small mixing bowl.
- Throw the flour over the tomatoes and toss to coat them well.
- Using two sets of tongs (one for wet, one for dry) bread the tomatoes by taking them from the flour bowl directly into the egg wash, then into the panko/Rice Krispies mix. (Make sure they are completely dredged.)
- Once dredged, lower the tomatoes carefully into the hot oil in batches, fry until golden brown (about 3 minutes each) and sprinkle with sea salt before serving.