Frying Up Happiness

Ok, as we have established, I am from the South (yes, with a capital S).  Eating fried items is in my

blood, along with sweet tea, rocking chairs on the front porch, and moonshine.  Of course, it has to be done RIGHT - which means, homemade! This Labor Day weekend, T and I were starving. J was not in the mood to cook just yet as he was seasoning his cast iron skillets. Being the kind man he is, he took a brief pause and made us some fried pickles with spicy fry sauce. T and I both love pickles, so J made 2 very happy (much less hungry) campers.

Fried Pickles:
1. Drain 1 jar of pickles (or more - I generally use 1 jar of pickles chips per 3 people), and lay the chips out in a single layer on some paper towels. Using another paper towel, pat the chips fairly dry.
2. Sift 1/2 cup flour, 2 tsp cajun seasoning, 1 tsp Italian seasoning, 1/4 tsp Cayenne pepper into a bowl. This mixture will accomodate 1.5-2 jars of pickles
3. Preheat vegetable oil in a skillet to 375 degrees.
4. In small batches (12-15 pickles), dredge the pickles in the flour mixture and drop them in the hot oil. Allow them to cook for 2 minutes, or until golden brown.
5. Scoop pickles out of the oil and place on a paper towel covered plate to drain the excess oil off.
6. Allow the oil to return to 375 degrees and then repeat the process.

Spicy Fry Sauce (adapted from The Pioneer Woman's Fry Sauce Recipe)
1/2 Cup Ketchup
1/2 Cup Mayo
Hot sauce to taste (We start with 1 tsp and add in 1 tsp increments)
Pinch (or 2 or 3) of black pepper.

**For an awesome spread for BBQ sandwiches, substitute BBQ sauce for Ketchup.

Alternative Spicy Dipping Sauce:
1/2 Cup Texas Pete Buffalo Sauce
1/2 Cup Blue Cheese Dressing
Salt & Pepper to taste.