Fried Pickles with Spicy Mayo

By tammy1365

While the restaurant makes its own mayonnaise and pickles, we used our favorite store-bought koshers and Hellmann's mayo—and won raves with our fried pickles and spicy mayo.

Recipe by The Ashby Inn and Restaurant in Paris, VA
Photograph by Matt Duckor

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Sriracha
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 garlic clove, mashed to a paste
• Kosher salt
• 2 cups grapeseed, or vegetable oil
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 cup (or more) seltzer water or club soda
• 3 cucumber pickles, cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds and patted dry

Preparation

Step 1

Whisk mayonnaise, Sriracha, lemon juice, and garlic in a small bowl; season with salt.

Pour grapeseed oil into a medium heavy saucepan; fit with deep-fry thermometer. Heat over medium heat until thermometer registers 350°F.

Whisk flour, cornstarch, and baking powder in a medium bowl. Whisk in 3/4 cup seltzer water. Whisk in more seltzer, if needed, until batter is the consistency of heavy cream.

Working in batches, coat pickle slices with batter, letting excess drip off, and add to oil one by one (to prevent them from sticking to one another). Fry, turning halfway through, until golden brown and crisp on both sides, about 3 minutes per batch.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Serve with spicy mayo.