Fried Pickles Recipe

I’m a pickle girl, plain and simple. I can easily finish a jar of pickles all by myself in one sitting. And I’ve done it…more than once. A weekend stop to Eastern Market isn’t complete without a visit to the “In A Pickle” stand. Pickles + puns? They know the way to my heart.

Their hot ‘n spicy pickles are my favorite and while I’ve added these pickles to salads and used the brine in a Bloody, I realized the other week I’ve never fried them. That is a crime against my taste buds and it was time to rectify that promptly. No deep fryer? No problem! Just grab a big pot and some vegetable oil and we’re in business. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

Ingredients

Pickles (I used the hot ‘n spicy kind from “In A Pickle”)

Vegetable oil

1/2 cup, flour

2 teaspoons, Cajun seasoning

1 1/2 teaspoons, cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon, salt

1/2 cup, water

Directions

1. Slice pickles into chips, pat dry on a plate using paper towels.

2. Fill a large pot with at least an inch of vegetable oil. Heat over a medium-low flame for 5 minutes. Test if the oil is ready by dropping a dollop of the batter into the oil. If bubbles immediately form around the batter, the oil is the right temperature.

3. Meanwhile, whisk together the flour, Cajun seasoning, cayenne pepper and salt. Add the water and continue whisking until smooth.

4. Drop the pickle chips into the batter and, using a fork, thoroughly coat the chip and scoop out of the bowl (don’t spear the chip with the fork).

5. Place the pickle chips into the oil for 2 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oil using a slotted spoon.

Ranch dressing is arguably tied for first time with ketchup for World’s Favorite Condiment. And for good reason: it goes great with everything, particularly fried pickles. But for those of you who also hail from Western New York (hi!), you’ll know about the wonders of Bison French Onion Dip. This dip is a must on football Sundays and is a wonderful way to eat your feelings after a harrowing Bills defeat or a last-minute victory like yesterday’s.

Several months ago, I spied Bison French Onion Dip tucked into a corner in the dairy department at Wegman’s in Fairfax and I immediately ran and grabbed several French Onion Dips. No shame, no judgement.

I had a hunch that along with Ruffles and pretzels, fried pickles could be added to the list of snacks only made better by Bison dip. The magical properties of Bison dip held true and it was pure caloric bliss. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll be living on quinoa, veggie burgers and vegetable soup for the next week.

Photos by Caroline Holman

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