Fried Pickles with Tangy Asian Dipping Sauce
Yield: About 120-150 pickle appetizers, or 20-30 servings
Cook Time: 1-2 minutes per batch
Tips: To make dip more spicy, add small amounts of the Asian chili paste, taste testing until desired spice level is reached (try adding 1 teaspoon of chili paste at a time).
Suggestion: Delicious served and without the dipping sauce.
Ingredients
- Tangy Asian Dipping Sauce
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1-2 teaspoons Asian chili paste (such as Sambal brand),
- or more as desired
- 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon peeled and zested ginger root
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 clove garlic, zested
- salt and pepper to taste (optional)
- Fried Pickle Chips
- 1 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal
- 1 tablespoon seafood seasoning (such as Old Bay)
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 33 oz. jar (or 2 16-oz. jars) bread and butter pickles (the thicker and larger, the better)
- vegetable or peanut oil (for frying pickles)
Directions
Tangy Asian Dipping Sauce
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together all ingredients. Pour into a serving bowl and set aside while preparing fried pickle chips.
Heat about 2 inches (deep) of oil in a deep fryer or heavy saucepan to 375°F. While oil is heating, prepare pickle chips for frying as follows:
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together cornmeal, seafood seasoning, salt and cayenne pepper. Scoop a few pickle chips at a time from the pickle jar and place into the cornmeal mixture, trying to avoid scooping extra unnecessary liquid from the pickle jar. Thoroughly coat each pickle chip with the cornmeal mixture, then using a slotted spoon or other slotted utensil, place pickles one-at-a-time into hot oil (transferring a few pickles all at once might cause them to stick together). Fry for 1-2 minutes or until pickle chips turn golden brown and crispy. Serve with a bowl of the Tangy Asian Dipping Sauce.
Fried Pickle Chips
Heat about 2 inches (deep) of oil in a deep fryer or heavy saucepan to 375°F. While oil is heating, prepare pickle chips for frying as follows:
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together cornmeal, seafood seasoning, salt and cayenne pepper. Scoop a few pickle chips at a time from the pickle jar and place into the cornmeal mixture, trying to avoid scooping extra unnecessary liquid from the pickle jar. Thoroughly coat each pickle chip with the cornmeal mixture, then using a slotted spoon or other slotted utensil, place pickles one-at-a-time into hot oil (transferring a few pickles all at once might cause them to stick together). Fry for 1-2 minutes or until pickle chips turn golden brown and crispy. Serve with a bowl of the Tangy Asian Dipping Sauce.