(Vegan) Fried Pickles

Notes

• I absolutely adore my favorite full-sour fermented pickles, but regular dill pickle slices are the traditional choice for this recipe. You can buy pickles whole and slice them yourself, or buy them pre-sliced. Thin pickle slices (max 1/4 inch) make for the best fried pickles. I usually snack on the end slices and only fry the ones with two flat sides. Safflower oil is my high-heat, neutral-tasting vegetable oil of choice. You can use that or sunflower, canola, peanut, vegetable oil blend, or any other refined oil with a neutral taste and very high smoke point. Use a deep-fry/candy thermometer with a clip to maintain temperature throughout the frying process. To lighten up the batter and/or add flavor, you can use seltzer or your favorite vegan beer instead of water. To make the pickles even crisper, substitute 1/4 cup finely ground yellow cornmeal for half the flour. Old Bay seasoning is a great match for pickles, but you can use other favorite spice blends, too. Cajun seasoning is traditional, and Italian seasoning, ranch, and many more would work well, too. Chopsticks are a great tool to stir the batter, dredge the pickle slices, and drop them into the oil. Use a fairly thin coating of batter for the crispest result. Fried foods don't keep so well, so serve these right away and only fry about as many as you think you'll eat. If you do have leftovers, store them tightly sealed in the fridge for up to a few days, and re-crisp them in the oven or toaster oven before serving.