Did you ever try Korean Fried Chicken? KFC (Korean Fried Chicken) has a crispy skin and is coated in a hot/sweet Asian sticky sauce made with gochujang……….You might be wondering what is gochujang? It’s a fermented savory, sweet, spicy  condiment. It’s a very stylish foreign ketchup….. sort of. I had these leftover smaller tomatoes and most of them were these unusual green ones with black skin. We all know that green tomatoes taste great fried with pimento cheese…..I wanted to swing the fried tomato in a different direction so here they swing towards Korean Fried Style. These tomatoes here aren’t actually fried. I do fry sometimes but I avoid frying when I can.

Ingredients for about 6 servings

13 oz smaller sized tomatoes

2 Tablespoons dijon mustard

1 teaspoon granulated ginger

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic

2 eggs – slightly beaten

2 Tablespoons potato starch

1 cup whole wheat panko (regular panko won’t work out as well or look as good either)

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 cup whole wheat panko

Non stick spray – canola or vegetable

2 Tablespoons gochujang

1/4 cup all fruit strawberry jam

1/4 cup honey

2 Tablespoons soy sauce

2 Tablespoons rice wine vinegar

1 Tablespoon sesame oil

1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic

1 garlic clove ground to paste or grated

1 Tablespoon hoisen

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

2 teaspoons sesame seeds to finish

2 Tablespoons scallions to finish

Directions

Set oven to 400 degrees F

Rinse of your tomatoes very well. While they are still damp powder them with the potato starch. Whatever starch stays in the bowl leave there and it will mix with the batter.

Next in a small mixing bowl mix together the dijon mustard, ginger, black pepper, 1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic and eggs. Mix well.

Pour over tomatoes and coat.

Clean small bowl and reuse to add one cup of whole wheat panko.

Spray baking sheet(s) with non stick spray and set to the side.

Coat the tomatoes in crumbs. After one coating you will have used about three quarters of the crumbs. NOW ADD the remaining 1/2 cup of panko and stir in 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne and do a second coat of panko on the tomatoes. After you double coat each tomato set them on the sprayed baking sheets.

When you are done put the baking sheets in the oven for about 20 minutes till they look browned.

While the tomatoes are getting crisp and brown whip up the sauce.

In a small mixing bowl mix together gochujang, strawberry jam, honey, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, fresh and remaining granulated garlic, hoisin and crushed red pepper.

The tomatoes should be brown now and cover them with a spoonful or so of sauce on them. Now they go BACK in the oven for about five minutes to get sticky.

They get finished with a sprinkling of sesame seeds and chopped scallion.

They have a Sticky spicy, savory and sweet crispy crunchy coating. Make sure you wait for them to cool slightly. Some of the tomatoes do burst when you eat them but they taste good. Especially the green ones.

These Korean Fried Style Baked Tomatoes are really Forking Tasty.