Baked Fried Pickle with Ranch dip

I feel like the last Texan alive that had not eaten fried pickles.  But something about the thought of fried dill pickle has deterred me since I first heard of them at the State Fair several years ago.  The recipes have floated by me on Pinterest and on numerous cooking shows until today.  I’ve been trying to give my mom a varied menu and today after a short discussion about fried pickles I gave in.  Why did I ever wait?

The pickles are quite tasty and being baked made us feel less guilty about eating them.  I do think a fried version might have a smoother texture…or it could be I used homemade bread crumbs instead of the recommended Panko.  Perhaps if I had taken the time to pulverize the bread crumbs?  Any way, I do think I’ll make them again.  I reduced the recipe in half, which made about 2 dozen dill pickle chips and served them with a Ranch Dressing.

Baked Fried Pickles…The 1/2 recipe version:

Pre heat the broiler oven.  Place a baking rack in a cookie sheet and spray the rack with oil.
Pat about 2 dozen pickle slices between paper towels and set aside.

Mix together in a small bowl for dredging the pickles:

• 1 slightly beaten egg
• 3 Tablespoons unbleached flour
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon each of: hot sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, Cajun season, pepper
• 1.5 cups finely crushed seasonded bread crumbs

In a separate bowl, place about 1.5 cups finely crushed seasoned bread crumbs.  Use a blender to make them like Panko crumbs or purchase Panko.
Dredge each pickle slice in the batter then coat in the bread crumbs.
Place the coated slices on the baking rack.
Broil 3 minutes on each side till they have a lovely toasty brown color.
If you prefer fried… just make sure the oil is hot before dropping them in.
Serve with a Ranch Dressing.

Home Made Ranch Dressing

In a blender, pulse a few times until well blended:

• 1/2 Cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 Cup sour cream
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 2 green onion tops, finely diced
• 1/4 teaspoon dried parsley (or a handful of finely chopped fresh)
• 1 crushed/diced garlic clove
• a pinch of white pepper
• 1/8 cup of buttermilk (or a little more if it is too thick)

Stores in refrigerator for a week.