I live in Minnesota, which annually hosts “The Great Minnesota Gathering” every August. I know I’m biased, but the Minnesota State Fair is the best state fair. I will hear your argument for your state on a different day, however, I would like to point out that the MN State Fair found its way onto a list of this year’s “Top 10 U.S. Fairs”. I’m just saying. Anyway, one staple I’ll be lining up for each year is the line of fried pickles. These are crispy pickle slices fried to perfection. You can get different flavors and have them soaked in hot sauce or plain. No matter how you order yours, they are incredible. And this recipe is the closest thing to carnival food perfection I have ever tasted.
INGREDIENTS
BATTERY #1
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour divided
BATTERY #2
1/4 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 (12 ounces) of beer
BATTERY #3
1 cup of bread crumbs
FRIED PICKLES
4 cups of canola oil, for frying (add more or less to adjust the size of the pan)
1 bottle (24 ounces) of thickly cut dill pickles, patted dry.
INSTRUCTIONS
BATTERY #1
In a small bowl, add half a cup of flour, and set aside.
BATTERY #2
In a medium bowl, whisk one cup of flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, pepper, cayenne and beer and stir until all lumps are gone, set aside.
BATTERY #3
In a small bowl, add the bread crumbs, and set aside.
FRIED PICKLES
Add the canola oil to a large pot (fill to about 2″ deep), heat to 350° Fahrenheit. Do your best to maintain this heat during cooking.
Add one pickle at a time to coat the number 1, and mix to coat each side of the pickle with flour.
Add the same pickle to dough #2, turning it over to cover each side, then shake off the excess dough.
Add the same pickle to dough #3, lightly covering each side with bread crumbs, then drop the covered pickle into the hot oil. Cook until golden brown on both sides, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Using a sieve or metal spatula, remove the pickle from the oil, drain it and place it on a paper towel to absorb excess oil.
RECIPE NOTES
Do not overload the pan, this will reduce the heat of the oil. If the oil temperature drops too low, you will end up with soggy pickles.