upon the size of your fry pan and your tomatoes.
the frying happens very quickly once the oil is hot. so stand there wearing a good apron, watch, and flip as needed.
should your oil start to smoke, ever so slightly reduce the heat.
with each addition of tomatoes, the temperature of the oil will reduce a little. tomatoes are cooler than the oil. the oil temperature will rise again as the tomatoes cook. the key to prevent smoking is to keep on adding more as you remove those that are done. this helps keep the oil temperature fairly stable. do not stop to go chat on the phone or the kitchen will 