Crunchy Fried Pickles with Three Dipping Sauces

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I was incredibly lucky to partner with Minnesota's own Lovejoy's brand this week to create these tasty, crunchy fried pickles and three dipping sauces!

Charles Lovejoy is a former bartender and good friend; my husband bartended with him for about 12 years. Over his 25 years in the service industry, Charles created and perfected his amazing Bloody Mary mix recipe. He created his brand from the ground up, and generously donates 5% of all his profits to organizations that are dedicated to supporting vulnerable populations in his community.

Lovejoy's proudly offers amazing Bloody Mary mixes, hot sauce, and a rim seasoning mix to level up your Bloody Mary game at home. Check out the Lovejoy's website for more info and to find out where to buy!

Vegetarian/Nut-Free

Skill Level: Beginner

Yield: 4-6 appetizer servings (see individual sauce recipes for yields of each sauce)

Prep Time: 30-40 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Equipment Needed:

•  Small whisk

• Mixing bowl

• Shallow containers or bowls

• Colander

• Dutch oven 

• Instant read thermometer 

• Spider strainer 

The Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 pint dill pickle chips

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

• 2 large eggs

• 1 1/2 cups Panko bread crumbs

• 4 tablespoons Lovejoy's Rim Seasoning, divided

• Canola oil, for frying

• Dipping sauces, for serving (3 recipe options to follow)

Procedure:

1. Combine 1/2 cup flour and 1 tablespoon Lovejoy's Rim Seasoning in a shallow dish. Crack 2 eggs into a second shallow dish and beat well with a fork or whisk. Combine 1 1/2 cups panko and 3 tablespoons Lovejoy's Rim Seasoning in a third shallow dish. Arrange your 3 shallow dishes next to each other, in the order described above (this will be your breading station). Line a mat or sheet with a piece of parchment paper and keep it close to your breading station.

2. Drain the pickle chips in a colander. Transfer to a double-layer of paper towels, and pat dry (no need to be obsessive, just get as much moisture off as possible with a few good pats).

3. Transfer 3-4 pickle chips to the flour mixture and flip to coat. Shake off excess flour, and move to the beaten egg dish. Flip to coat, then let excess egg drip off of each pickle chip before transferring them to the panko mixture. Flip pickles, pressing gently on each side to help the panko adhere, before transferring pickles to your parchment-lined sheet. Repeat this process until all of your pickle chips are breaded.

4. In a Dutch oven or heavy pan, add canola oil until you have a depth of about 2 inches. Heat the oil on medium/medium-high heat until the oil has reached a temperature of 375 degrees Fahrenheit (an instant-read thermometer will be the most accurate and easiest way to gauge this). Set up a paper towel-lined plate close by.

5. Working with 6-8 pickle chips at a time (depending on the width of your pan), carefully slide the breaded pickles into the hot oil, taking care to not crowd them in the pan. Allow them to fry for 15-20 seconds, then use a spider skimmer or slotted spoon to check the underside. When pickles look golden brown, carefully flip them and fry the second side. Transfer to paper-towel lined plate once your pickles are golden brown on both sides; this will only take 30-40 seconds total.

6. Repeat this process until all pickles are fried. Serve with dipping sauces of your choice (several options to follow).

Lovejoy's Dipping Sauces Three Ways:

Thai Basil Ketchup:

1. Combine in a bowl:

• 6 ounces tomato paste

• 3/4 cup Lovejoy's Thai Basil Bloody Mary mix

• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1. Add a hefty pinch of Kosher salt, taste, and adjust seasoning to your liking. For a tangier ketchup, add additional apple cider vinegar.

2. This recipe makes about 1 3/4 cups ketchup. Store leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.

Bloody Mary Crema:

1. Combine in a bowl:

• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons mayonnaise

• 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt

• 1/4 cup Lovejoy's Original Bloody Mary mix

• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

• Lovejoy's Burn Yo Face Hot Sauce, to taste

1. Add a hefty pinch of Kosher salt, taste, and adjust seasoning to your liking. I start with a few shakes of the hot sauce and adjust from there.

2. This recipe makes a little over a cup of crema. Store leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Spicy Buffalo Sauce (vegan):

1. Combine in a bowl:

• 2 tablespoons tahini

• 3 tablespoons Lovejoy's Burn Yo Face Hot Sauce

• 1 teaspoon soy sauce

• 1 teaspoon pure maple syrup

• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1. Add a hefty pinch of Kosher salt, taste, and adjust seasoning to your liking.

2. This recipe makes about 1/2 cup of sauce. Store leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Tips:

• This is a GREAT recipe for those who are new to deep frying! There will be very little chance of big spatters, and you don't need a whole big pan filled to the top with oil. You also don't have to worry about your pickles reaching a certain temperature for food safety; you can just look for those visual cues that they are ready to flip or are done.

•  Safflower oil, peanut oil, or any other neutral oil with a high smoke point can be substituted for the canola oil (do not substitute olive oil). The smoke point of oil refers to the temperature at which it stops shimmering and starts smoking.

• Once your pickles are in the oil, do not walk away! These fry up insanely fast.

• The rim seasoning is a great blend of spices and works wonderfully in this recipe, but if you want to go with what you have on hand, a couple of spices you could try using instead might be garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, paprika, or cayenne. You could also omit a spice mix all together, but I think it adds a nice layer of flavor.

• I do not recommend substituting any other type of breadcrumb in this recipe; panko makes these fried pickles unbelievably crispy-crunchy and I don't think you would get the same results if you went with something else.

• When you are working with a breading station, it can be helpful to designate one of your hands "wet" and the other "dry." I use my right hand as the "dry" hand, so that is the hand that gets the pickles out of the dry ingredients (flour and panko). My left hand is the "wet" hand, so that is the one that grabs the pickles out of the egg. This isn't a perfect method, and I still end up rinsing my fingers a few times throughout the breading process, but I do think it helps.

• I used Grillo's dill pickle chips; in my opinion nothing else really compares, these are the best!

• Use fresh lemon and lime juice in the sauce recipes; do not substitute bottled.

• You could try substituting white vinegar for the apple cider vinegar in the ketchup and buffalo sauce, but I like the tang and flavor of the apple cider vinegar.

• The vegan buffalo sauce is SPICY as written; if you want a milder version I would cut back on the hot sauce (and we can still be friends).

• Be sure to use pure maple syrup and not "pancake syrup" in the buffalo sauce.

• If you are on a gluten-free diet, the buffalo sauce can be made gluten-free by using a gluten-free soy sauce or tamari.

• Plain yogurt could be used instead of the plain Greek yogurt, but your crema will not be quite as thick. You could also substitute sour cream for the Greek yogurt.

• A different Bloody Mary mix or hot sauce could be substituted, but I encourage you to support a small business and try out a really quality product if you are able!

• Fried pickles as a snack/appetizer...yes please! However, I also think these would be awesome on a burger or sandwich, too!

The Story:

When Charles asked if I might be willing to whip something up using his product, I was pumped. I love a good challenge, and this one felt special and unique. Although Charles said a cocktail or food recipe would be great, I really wanted to test myself and see if I could come up with a dish vs. a drink since that is a little more unexpected. Once I had all of the product in front of me, I knew that I really wanted to go for the gold and try to use all four of his products in one dish.

The flavor of this mix is so unique; you won't find anything else quite like it.

I did some pondering and came up with a few ideas, but nothing was really screaming "yes" at me. Ever since I completely housed a serving of deep fried pickles at the MN State Fair in August, they have been on my recipe-tinkering "to-do" list. As soon as they popped into my head, the big-picture idea kind of fell into place...destiny.

I used the same basic template/recipe for breading the pickles that I follow for doing homemade chicken strips, and it worked just beautifully. These fried pickles are so crunchy, fresh, and flavorful! I was also really happy with my sauces; I think it's a really nice mix. If you make all three for a crowd, there is something for everyone: Thai Basil Ketchup for those who want a mild and somewhat-familiar dip with a twist, a tangy Bloody Mary Crema for those that are a tad more adventurous and like things creamy, and the Spicy Vegan Buffalo for those that like it hot (I may have accidentally annihilated my mouth during the trial-and-error stage; thankfully the addition of maple syrup curbs the intensity of that hot sauce...woof).

Obviously, I wasn't going to have those beautiful Bloody Mary mixes in front of me and not make myself a bloody garnished with fried pickles!

Whether you try making just the pickles, try out one of the sauces, or make everything, I think you'll be really pleased with the results! These recipes are easy, quick, and unique and delicious enough to entertain with (or to enjoy on a Saturday afternoon like my husband and I did).

Happy tasting!