Making Flippy Floppy

Say "Hi" to Shavarda Lott. This morning, she was smiling out at me from the front of the CDA Press Food section, her steely tongs holding forth a creation that could only come from the southern USA: Kool-Aid Pickles. Apparently, they are all the rage in the Mississippi Delta, along with their equally wrong hot cousin, the breaded and deep fried pickle. I've not tried either, but I feel compelled give them a taste after reading the accompanying Associated Press article all about this disturbingly enticing culinary trend. I've come up with recipes for both and they look so easy, even I should be able to pull it off. I plan on whipping up a batch of each this weekend, so stay tuned for taste-test results...

Fried dill pickles

1 cup buttermilk 1 large egg 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt Vegetable oil, for deep frying 4 large, crisp dill pickles, cut into 3/4-inch chips

In a small bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and egg. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Stir the dry ingredients into the buttermilk mixture.

In a medium cast-iron skillet, heat about 2 inches of oil to 375 degrees. A few at a time, dip the pickle chips into the batter and fry until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Set on paper towels to drain excess oil. Serve hot.

KOOL-AID pickles

46-ounce (1 quart 14 ounces) jar whole dill pickles 1 cup sugar 2 cups water 2 packets red Kool-Aid (such as cherry flavored)

Drain and discard the juice from the pickle jar. Remove the pickles from the jar and cut each one in half lengthwise. Return the pickles to the jar and set aside.

In a large measuring cup, combine the sugar, water and Kool-aid. Mix until the sugar has completely dissolved. Pour enough of the liquid into the pickle jar to cover the pickles. Discard any excess.

Cover the jar and refrigerate at least 24 hours.

Labels: Food, Pickles, Recipes, Strange Happenings