The only thing I like more than pickles? Fried pickles. There's something luxurious about a tangy, sour, spicy pickle coated in a golden brown breading and fried to perfection. Give me a side of dipping sauce, maybe a buttermilk ranch dressing or a Tabasco hot sauce remoulade, and I'll celebrate all the way to the gym (because, yeah, I definitely have to work the guilt out after eating fried food). So, the thought of a famous pickle retailer selling fried pickles just made me positively pickled.
For a long time, the Pickle Guys have been a beloved spot on New York's Lower East side. Their barrel-cured pickles are made the old-school European way, with just salt brine and no preservatives. They have a pickle for everyone: hot new pickles and sweet gherkins, all kinds of sour dill pickles including half sour and 3/4 sour (did you even know that was a thing?). They'll pickle anything, and it doesn't have to be a cucumber. Their offerings range from pickled tomatoes and olives to fruits like pineapple and watermelon.
In January, Eater NY and Tasting Table picked up rumors that the shop was branching out and would become the first retail pickle shop to go beyond retail.
I can just see the menu now, filled with foods featuring fried pickles, including appetizer recipes as well as sandwiches that showcased any and all of their delicious pickles. I would definitely order a burger topped with fried dill pickles!
Yum, a Fried Pickle Restaurant!
Since then, the rumors have gone quiet and there is no mention on the Pickle Guys website about fried pickles. We can only hope and dream that these iconic pickles will soon be available, deep fried and delicious, but until then you'll have to settle for frying them yourself. All of their pickles are for sale online, and they even deliver to select Brooklyn locations.
So buy a jar today, cut them into pickle slices, and dredge them in all purpose flour, cornmeal, or bread crumbs. Pop 'em in hot oil (you don't need a deep fryer, but that works too!) until they're golden brown and delicious. Remove them with a slotted spoon to paper towels or a parchment paper lined baking sheet and you're ready to eat!
Serious Pickle Love
There is no shortage of pickle-flavored food these days. Pickle gifts and novelties make the perfect stocking stuffer for the pickle-lover in your life.
I'm partial to this "I'm Kinda a Big Dill" mug (because I am!). At $12.99, the pickle handle alone is worth it.
I'd also be pretty stoked if anyone wants to buy me pickle-flavored salt so I can make everything taste like pickles (hint hint).
Oh, just imagine what deep fried pickles topped with pickle-flavored salt would taste like? Pickle overload!
