The Egg Roll Method For Stuffed Fried Pickles That Are Virtually Mess-Free
It's no secret — Southerners love to fry things. In the case of fried pickles, their origins can be traced back to Bernell "Fatman" Austin of the Duchess Drive-In in 1960. The Duchess sat across from a pickle factory in Atkins, Arkansas. The story goes that Austin experimented by using a catfish batter to fry up the local delicacy for the masses — likely due to having pickles in such close proximity.
While others lay claim to the dish's origins, the truth probably lies somewhere in the middle. So, if you really want to dig deep, head to the yearly Picklefest in Atkins. But, no matter who came up with the idea, fried pickles are flat-out delicious. Yet, making them can leave your kitchen less than tidy.
There are several hacks out there that forgo the messy process, including the fried-cheese-wrapped pickle that keto devotees can be seen making all over TikTok. Hold up! Fried cheese? That's a whole other conversation, but they may be onto something. Coming right up — the wonton wrapper. Whether you deep fry or air fry it, the wonton wrapper holds all the secrets to a no-fuss stuffed fried pickle.
Making stuffed fried pickles with the egg roll method
It's best to use whole pickles or spears rather than slices when making stuffed fried pickles. First, you will need to pat them dry to prevent a soggy fry. For a more unified composition, opt for the whole pickles. It will just require using an apple corer to pull out the pickle's center. If you don't care about that, pickle spears will work just fine by sandwiching the cheese between them.
The type of cheese you use for the stuffing is entirely up to you. Just remember that you have to actually be able to put it inside the pickle. Mozzarella cheese sticks work great for the cored whole pickle. You can even wrap the cheese with prosciutto prior to stuffing the pickle for an extra special version. Spreadable cheeses work great for the spears if you want to mix them with herbs, spices, or perhaps pickled peppers. This mixture can also be piped into whole pickles.
Once your pickle is stuffed, wrap it with the wonton wrapper the same way you would wrap an egg roll. Place the pickle across the wrapper diagonally and fold the corners over the ends of the pickle. Moisten the opposite side to promote a good seal, and then roll until everything is tightly wrapped.
The final step is just a matter of your choice of frying technique, but if you want a puffier result, deep frying is the way to go.