Fried Fish Pickles
These Fried Fish Pickles are my adaptation of a classic fried pickle recipe, using pickled fish to create a crave-worthy appetizer fried until golden brown. The result delivers the salty, crunchy bite that fried pickle lovers can’t resist.
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 1 pound pickled northern pike
- ¾ cup milk
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 3 Tablespoons cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup banana pepper rings or slices, drained
- ¼ cup ketchup
- ¼ cup ranch dressing
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 6 cups vegetable or canola oil
Instructions
- Set wire rack in rimmed baking sheet. Set second rack in second sheet and line with triple layer of paper towels.
- Pour jar of pickled fish out into a strainer over the kitchen sink. Rinse fish under cold running water and transfer to one of the wire racks.
- Pour ¾ cup milk in medium bowl. Whisk together 1½ cups all-purpose flour, 3 tablespoon cornstarch, and ½ teaspoon pepper in a large dinner plate or pie plate.
- Add ½ pound of the pickled fish to milk and toss to coat. Using your hands or slotted spoon, remove half of the fish (¼ pound), allowing excess milk mixture to drip back into bowl, and add to plate with flour mixture. Using your hands, toss to coat evenly. Gently shake off excess flour and place breaded pickled fish in single layer on one of the wire racks on rimmed baking sheet. Repeat with remaining fish.
- Add 1 cup banana peppers to flour mixture and toss with your hands to coat evenly. Gently shake off excess flour mixture and set peppers Let set breaded peppers on wire rack next to the fish. Let sit for 10 minutes while you make the dipping sauce and heat the oil.
- Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, make the fried pickle ranch dip by whiskjng together the ketchup, ranch, and Worcestershire sauce. Set aside.
- Heat 6 cups of vegetable or canola oil in Dutch oven over high heat to 350 degrees. Carefully add half of the fish and fry for exactly 4 minutes until golden brown. Using slotted spoon or spider skimmer, transfer fried fish to paper towel–lined rack and place in oven to keep warm. Return oil to 350 degrees and repeat with remaining fish and the peppers.
- Transfer fried fish and peppers to platter and serve immediately with dipping sauce on the side.
