Growing up in Alabama, I learned that anything and everything can be fried. I have lots of fried favorites – fried okra, fried crab claws, hushpuppies, corn fritters. My all time favorite, by far, is fried pickles. I haven’t found anywhere in Orlando that has fried pickles on their menu. After being in Alabama recently, Eric and I had dinner at Wing’s. Their fried pickles are my absolute favorite. Instead of using pickle chips, they use the sandwich slices.
This recipe was our attempt to bring some of that fried goodness to Florida. The batter was very light, almost like a tempura batter. However, this could have been because we forgot to get cornstarch and had to substitute it with more flour. I’ll have to try again with the cornstarch. The pickles still tasted delicious, though. We found that they were best eaten almost immediately. By the time I had taken pictures, a few of them had already gotten a little soggy. These are great served with some Ranch dressing for dipping.
Fried Pickles
Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup ice water
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons dill pickle juice
4 cups dill pickle slices, drained
vegetable oil for frying
Directions:
-In a large bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt. Make a well in the center.
-All at once, add the water, egg yolk and pickle juice.
-Stir the mixture with a wire whisk to make a smooth batter.
-Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
-In a deep fryer or large saucepan, heat at least two inches of oil to 375°.
-In batches, dip pickle slices into batter, lightly and evenly coating them.
-Without crowding, place coated slices in the hot oil.
-Fry until golden and crisp, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes.
-Drain on paper towels and serve immediately.
source: http://www.cooklikeachampionblog.com/2008/11/fried-pickles
