Stella's Fried Green Tomatoes. Photo by Theresa Stanley
One of the first restaurants to kick off what’s since become a culinary revival on Jefferson Street, Stella’s Kentucky Deli has been an institution for creative, house-made meals with a heavy farm-to-table emphasis since 2006, when the restaurant reopened under new ownership. The casual eatery, which originally opened in the early 1980s, is open for weekday lunch and weekend brunch, with a menu specializing in housemade soups, sandwiches, salads, pies and sodas.
These fried green tomatoes make an appearance in several places on the menu: on a Fried Green Tomato BLT, on the Revro Burger and as a salad add-on. It’s a great classic recipe to utilize the bounty of green tomatoes that are popping up on local farms, in gardens and at farmers’ markets this time of year.
Fried Green Tomatoes:
• 2-3 green tomatoes, sliced (slightly less than 1/4-inch thick)
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup Weisenberger Mill white cornmeal
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• Vegetable oil
Mix cornmeal, salt, garlic powder and pepper in a small bowl. Pour buttermilk in a second small bowl.
Dunk green tomato slices in the buttermilk, then dredge in cornmeal mixture one at a time, making sure to gently push the meal into the buttermilk to remove clumps and to achieve an even coating. Once all tomatoes are coated in cornmeal mixture, heat a well-cured cast iron skillet on medium high heat.
Once the skillet is hot, add approximately one teaspoon of oil per tomato slice and place coated tomatoes onto the oiled skillet, taking care not to splash hot oil on exposed skin. Make sure each tomato is lying flat on the skillet and isn’t crowding or laying on any of the other tomatoes. If available, use a pastry brush to add a coating of oil to the top of the tomatoes; if no brush is available, add more oil to the skillet when flipping the tomatoes. Cook until golden brown – 3-4 minutes, depending on the temperature of the skillet – and flip the tomato slices onto oiled skillet with a spatula. After flipping the tomatoes, cook for 60-90 more seconds, depending on the thickness of each slice.
Once both sides are golden brown, remove tomatoes from heat. Serve with basil mayo or enjoy on their own.
Basil Mayo:
• 10 leaves fresh basil, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup heavy mayonnaise
Mix basil into mayonnaise quickly after chopping to retain best flavor.
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Served with a a side of basil mayo, these fried green tomatoes have long been a popular item on the menu at Stella’s Kentucky Deli. Photo by Theresa Stanley
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Served with a a side of basil mayo, these fried green tomatoes have long been a popular item on the menu at Stella’s Kentucky Deli. Photo by Theresa Stanley
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Served with a a side of basil mayo, these fried green tomatoes have long been a popular item on the menu at Stella’s Kentucky Deli. Photo by Theresa Stanley