The Deep-Fried Delights of Summer

This is the time of year for fried taste sensations. I’m not talking about fish and chips, corn dogs, or Korean fried chicken. No, I’m talking about the carnival kind of treats of midsummer, when at certain sites like state fairs you can find all manner of unusual and mouth-watering deep-fried treats. Not just fried dough – one of my favorites – but fried Twinkies (Wisconsin State Fair), fried butter (Iowa State Fair), fried jelly beans (the Big E in Massachusetts), and fried ravioli (Minnesota State Fair). Minnesota capped it off with deep-fried fried rice on a stick. And, of course, most fairs have fried candy bars, cheese curds, and Oreos.

On a recent weekend getaway in upstate New York, we stopped for late-afternoon refreshment at a craft beer brewery. The server suggested we try the house specialty: fried pickles. OK, when in Rome! We quickly understood why it’s their most popular app – it was half-gone before I could take the photo above. Dipped in ranch dressing, they were delicious and a guilty pleasure for those of us who usually eschew fried foods.

Despite the reputation of deep-fried foods as being less than healthy because of the high fat content, we still might be tempted to indulge and even to try our hand at making one of these treats. I was curious about whether I could reprise our recent discovery. Turns out that it’s pretty simple. You just mix up a breading of cornmeal and flour with a handful of herbs and generous sprinkling of garlic salt. Then you dip the sliced dill pickles in an egg wash (milk, eggs, some pickle juice); roll them in the breading; and fry in a deep pan filled with very hot oil. That’s all it takes.

Or how about featuring deep-fried Oreos at a party? You need biscuit mix, hot oil, and a package of Oreos. Combine the biscuit mix with egg and milk, dip the Oreos in the mix, fry them for a minute or two on each side, drain them on paper towels, and dust them with confectioners’ sugar. There’s your treat.

Better yet, you can use an air fryer. Data analytics firm Circana reports that two-thirds of U.S. homes have at least one air fryer, which is basically a mini-convection oven. They’re popular because they use less energy than an oven and produce the same crispy result as deep frying without a lot of oil.

Now you can really get creative. Want to try an air-fried candy bar or jellybeans? All you need is a can of frozen crescent dough and your favorite candy. Freeze the candy for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, roll out the dough, then place the candy morsels on half of the dough and top with the other half. Cut out squares around the candy morsels and pinch together the sides of the dough. Then all you need to do is place the wrapped candies in the fryer basket and cook for five minutes at 350 degrees until the dough is cooked and golden to your liking. Voilà.

Finally, here’s Pioneer Woman’s recipe for those fried pickles in an air fryer. It’s not that different from the hot oil version. The pickles slices are patted dry, dredged in a cornmeal mixture, then coated with cooking spray before being placed in the fryer basket in a single layer. Eight minutes later, they’re crunchy and brown and ready to be removed, sprinkled with salt, and dipped in ranch dressing before popping in your mouth. Yum.

Does this give you ideas for midsummer carnival party or special treats for a kid’s birthday?

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