I love this salty and crispy fried pickles recipe as a snack or appetizer. The pickles have a salt and vinegar quality because they are stored in bine.
In a small mixing bowl whisk together the buttermilk, sour cream and mayonnaise until completely combined and smooth. Add the chives, dill, onion powder, garlic powder, pepper, mustard powder and salt and whisk to combine. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. The sauce can be made up to 4 days in advance.
For the pickle chips:
Arrange the sliced pickles in an even single layer on a paper towel-lined baking sheet. Pat the pickles completely dry with additional paper towels and set aside.
In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, cornmeal, pepper and cayenne. In another mixing bowl whisk together the buttermilk and egg until combined.
Add enough oil to a large cast iron skillet to fill 1” up the side of the pan. Heat the oil to 350ºF (180ºC). Working in batches, add some of the dried pickles to the buttermilk mixture, then use a slotted spoon to drain them and transfer to the flour mixture. Toss the pickles to evenly coat in the flour, shaking off any excess.
Add the pickles to the hot oil and fry until golden brown all over, turning halfway through, about 2 to 3 minutes total.
Remove to a paper towel-lined plate to drain and continue with the remaining pickles until all have been fried. Garnish with salt, chives and dill then serve immediately with the buttermilk ranch dressing.