Food Friday: Fried Pickles

 I've mentioned this low-rent treat before and it elicited some insistent e-mails asking for the recipe.  Though I apologize for the delay in finally posting it, I will rest easy knowing that across the nation y'all may now stuff your gullet with fried pickles. 

And they will be good.

The ingredients:

1 jar sliced pickles ----- usually these are called hamburger dills
1 egg
1/2 cup of milk
1 1/2 cups of flour
1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt

canola oil for frying

Ranch dressing (I just grab a packet of Hidden Valley and mix it up with mayo and milk).

Drain the pickles in a colander and then set them on a plate to dry a bit more.  While the pickles are drying, mix the egg and milk in one bowl.  Mix the flour and salt and pepper in another, adjusting the seasonings as you see fit.  Don't add too much salt, as this mixture will be used to bread the pickles and they are pretty salty to begin with.

Place a cookie cooling rack on the counter with paper towels underneath (to absorb the mess).  Then, dip each pickle slice in the egg wash and then the flour, coating both sides of the slice.  Set the slices on the rack to dry a bit.  Bread all of your pickles before you start with the frying because this is a messy job and once the frying starts, things will move fast.

Heat oil on high; you want enough to immerse your little pickle friends in the oil.  If you have a fryer, set it to 375 degrees.  Fry the pickles in batches until they are golden (it usually takes about 5 minutes per batch).  Carefully remove to a plate lined with a paper towel.

Serve warm with ranch dip.  I promise that you won't have any extras!