Who stole the pickles from the pickle jar? The sous chef stole the pickles from the pickle jar. Who me? Yes you. Couldn’t be. Then who?
Okay, okay. It wasn’t the sous chef. It was the pickle monster (aka, me.). The word obsession probably doesn’t do my pickle infatuation justice. I originally planned to use Boar’s Head Pickle Chips (Sweet with Horseradish) for the fried pickles which I picked up from the store on Sunday. Naturally, I have to try them out as soon as I get home from grocery shopping, right? Even before I even finish putting the groceries away? Why, of course! And they were so good (bravo Boar’s Head. You never disappoint). Up there with the best pickles I have ever had. So, surely I continue to dabble in the pickle jar and come Tuesday, I actually found myself in a bit of a pickle: we were out of those delicious little treasures. Nevertheless, I strolled over to the store down the street with my sous chef and picked up another jar and voila: crisis averted (though, he was curious where they could have disappeared to so quickly!).
Now, I’ve had an obsession with fried pickles ever since my very first fried pickle experience: I was down south at a New Orleans style restaurant and was introduced to these jewels and never looked back. I really do loyally order fried pickles when they’re available at a restaurant; however, I had never attempted to make my own. Admittedly, I really had an ulterior motive that sparked my inspiration to try these puppies out on my own: I love pickles on burgers – and if I love fried pickles – how about a classic American burger topped with fried pickles? Coming soon, friends! It was so good!
But back to the basics here, let’s get started with our Crispy Fried Pickles!
Crispy Fried Pickles:
- 1 pickle, sliced into chips (or say, 15 or so pre-cut chips)
- Vegetable oil, for frying (about an inch of depth in your pan)
- 1/2 cup flour
- 3 tablespoons southwest seasoning
- 1 teaspoon cayenne
- 1 teaspoon salt
First, heat your oil in a large frying pan (again, with oil about an inch deep) until the temperature reaches 375 degrees.
Then, slice your pickles and dry them on paper towels to get rid of extra moisture.
Next, whisk together the flour, southwest seasoning, cayenne pepper and salt.
Coat your pickles in your flour mixture (be sure to shake off any extra) and place half in your drying pan.
Let fry for about 2 minutes, or until golden-brown.
Carefully remove pickles from oil using a slotted spoon and place on paper towels to drain any excess oil.
Once cool, plate and serve with your favorite dipping sauce (we used the sous chef’s secret sauce – equal parts mayonnaise and ketchup – because it just doesn’t get better than that.
Enjoy!
