1. Preheat the oven to 200ºF.

2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat to about 375ºF; it should sizzle when you drop a small amount of flour into the skillet.

3. Stir together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt and pepper in a bowl. Place the buttermilk in a separate bowl.

4. Dip a green tomato slice in the buttermilk to coat on both sides, then dredge it in the flour mixture to coat both sides. Place the green tomato slice in the hot oil and repeat with enough tomato slices to fill the skillet without crowding. Fry the tomato slices until the under sides are golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. (It’s best if you let these get nice and crispy before you turn them and only turn once. If you keep flipping them in the pan, they won’t get brown and crispy and the coating will fall off.) Use tongs or a slotted spatula to remove the fried tomato slices from the oil and place on a baking sheet lined with paper towels to drain. Place the fried tomato slices in the oven to keep warm while you fry the rest.

5. Spread the basil mayonnaise onto 4 slices of the bread and top with a few leaves of lettuce, 3 slices of bacon, 2 slices of fried green tomatoes and more lettuce. Top with the remaining bread, slice in half and serve warm.