Fried Pickles – Arkansas

Jayne: Who knew?  

At a harborside N.C. beach joint, I fell in love with fried pickles.  Chunky, salty dill spears coated in batter, fried in hot oil, served with zingy ranch dressing.  So good.  My husband and I would sit out on Mojo’s deck, eating fried pickles and steamed shrimp, with cold beer. 

So, who knew they came from Arkansas?  Bernell “Fatman” Austin of Atkins, Arkansas, is credited with the fried pickle, according to Garden and Gun magazine’s The Southerner’s Cookbook – Recipes, Wisdom, and Stories.  Fried vegetables are popular all over the south, but fried pickles are something else – something, well like fried okra, which my boys and I eat like candy during the summer.  

All cultures have some variation on fried vegetables – tempura, scallion pancakes, ….  They are meant as a small side or appetizer.  And all need a dipping sauce.  For Fried Pickles, ranch dressing is good and easy. Fancier southern versions are Comeback sauce and Creole remoulade or even Tartar (all have some pickle).  

This recipe handles all vegetables well – pickles, okra and green tomatoes. Just make sure you have the vegetable/coating ratio correct. Pickles and tomatoes should be sliced ½”— okra should be whole pods (less than 3 inches).  

Master Fry Batter

• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1/3 cup cornstarch
• 2 teas kosher salt
• 1 teas fresh ground pepper
• 1/4 – 1/2 teas ground cayenne
• 1/4 teas granulated garlic

Combine all ingredients in an air-tight container and keep inn a cool, dar place for up to 1 month.

Fried Pickle Chips

• Peanut or canola oil
• 1 – 16 oz jar of thick cut (1/2″ or more) spicy dill chips, drained
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 1 cup buttermilk
• A couple of healthy dashes of Texas Pete’s or Tabasco
• 1 cup Master Fry Batter Mix (above)

1. In a large, deep, cast iron skillet, heat 2 inches of oil to 350 deg. F. (Use a deep fat fryer thermometer)
2. Set up a dredging station – plate with cornstarch, shallow bowl with buttermilk (with hot sauce if desired), shallow bowl with batter mix.
3. Working in batches, toss the drained pickles in the cornstarch and transfer to a fine mesh sieve. Dip pickles in the buttermilk and shake to remove excess. Place in the batter mix, tossing to coat. Shake off excess. Carefully slip into the oil.
4. Do not overcrowd the pan. Fry for 4-6 minutes until golden brown. Turn occasionally.
5. Remove from the oil and drain on rack or paper towels. Sprinkle with salt to taste. Serve warm with a dipping sauce, like ranch dressing.