The fried green tomato sandwich is the kind of dish that food writers put on 'underrated Southern classics' lists and then immediately forget about. Chris Henry, who runs The Henrys catering company in Andover, Massachusetts with his wife Meredith and specializes in private dining, did not forget about it. He built a competition version that had an actual architecture.
His tomatoes were sliced at a half-inch — thick enough to hold their shape through the dredge and fry without collapsing, thin enough to heat through in two minutes at 350°F. The cornmeal dredge was seasoned with smoked paprika and onion powder, both of which intensify in fat rather than fading. He pressed the slices lightly before dredging to wick surface moisture, which prevented the crust from steaming off the tomato rather than crisping.
Private dining specialists understand that you cook for the guest, not the critic. Bobby's tomatoes lost some of their crust integrity between plating and judging. Henry's held.