Gluten Free Deep Fried Pickles with Vegan Buttermilk Ranch Dip

Whew. A mouthful. And a tasty mouthful at that.

I feel slightly guilty when I test recipes like these. I feel the need to assure everyone out there that Levi and I do not (stress: do not) normally eat stuff like this. This is more like a novelty recipe and something I saw on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives and wanted to see if I could make it myself.

I’ll probably not make these again for like 10 years. Okay, that’s an exaggeration. But you get my point.

Deep Fried Pickles

• 3 large Kosher dill pickles (see note below), cut into chips
• 1/3 cup finely ground cornmeal
• 1/3 cup finely ground brown rice flour

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a deep-fryer to 375F.
2. Slice pickles width-wise, discarding the very tips.
3. In a shallow dish combine cornmeal and brown rice flour.
4. Toss the pickle chips in the cornmeal mixture to coat evenly.
5. Shake off excess.
6. Place in deep-fryer and fry for 4 minutes until golden brown.
7. Remove from fryer to paper towel to absorb excess oil.
8. Serve hot with cool Buttermilk Ranch Dressing.

Vegan Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

• 1 cup vegan cashew buttermilk
• 1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise (I use Vegenaise)
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon dried dill
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon dried mustard powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Chill at least 30 minutes.

Note: (A rant about pickles)

I love pickles. I don’t know that I can rightfully call myself a pickle connoisseur but I do have my preferences. I am a fan of large “meaty” Kosher dills. I think a lot of this has to do with the way the pickle feels when I bite into it. If it’s crunchy on the outside and nice and juicy on the inside – to me, that’s the perfect pickle bite. Those sweet little gherkins can go to hell as far as I’m concerned. And those sweet mixed pickles have only one use and that’s in homemade antipasto. (Hey, I’ve never posted that recipe … I am totally going to soon!)

So, I highly recommend you use the right kind of pickle here. I suggest the Vlasic Kosher Dill Pickles. But, it’s important to buy the right size of jar. The larger the jar, the larger the pickles it seems and therefore the best for the pickle chips we are making here. I have bought the smaller jars of Vlasic Kosher Dills and the flavor is there but the pickles themselves are smaller and therefore not exactly my favorite.

Who knew I could ramble on about pickles so much?

Oh, and one more very important thing. Do not try to make pickle spears with this recipe. Stick to making them in ‘chips’. I tried both methods and found that a light dusting of the cornmeal/rice flour mixture did not stick well to the skin side of the pickle spears and so it didn’t really work out as nicely. I am going to experiment at another time with more of a heavier batter-type fried pickle but for now, use this light dusted crunchy coating with sliced pickle chips.

Update: I have perfected the deep fried pickle spear with a different recipe. If you want to try it out hop on over to the recipe here.