"Fried Pickle" ("Frickle") Mystery (Mississippi?)

[Barry Popik]

I just made two entries for "fried pickles" and "frickles," a very
popular Southern dish.
...
The Wikipedia "fried pickle" entry is extremely short and clearly
wrong. The "Cock of the Walk" restaurant began in 1977, and I've found
"french fried pickle slices" in 1962. That restaurant could not
possibly have invented the dish. I would correct the Wikipedia, but
I'm not allowed to cite my work.
...
It's also frequently claimed (by food writer John T. Edge and others)
that "fried pickles" originated at the Hollywood Cafe in Hollywood,
Mississippi in 1969, but again, this appears doubtful.
...
O.T.: My pregnant wife loves pickles. Fortunately, I'll easily make
ten cents from this post, and it'll pay all of our medical bills.
...
...
...
FRICKLES:
http://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/texas/entry/frickles_fried_pickles/
...
...
FRIED PICKLES:
http://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/texas/entry/fried_pickles_fried_dill_pickles_french_fried_pickle_slices/
...
Entry from October 22, 2007
Fried Pickles (Fried Dill Pickles; French Fried Pickle Slices)
Fried pickles are served throughout the South (and, now, in many
northern cities as well). The exact origin of "fried pickles,"
however, is unknown. It is claimed in the Wikipedia (below) that the
Cock of the Walk restaurant first created this dish, but that
restaurant opened in April 1977—clearly too late to have invented the
dish. It is often claimed that the Hollywood Cafe in Hollywood, MS
invented fried pickles in 1969, but "french fried pickle slices" is
cited in print in 1962.

"Fried pickles" are often called "frickles." Ranch dressing often is
served with fried pickles.


Wikipedia: Fried pickle
A fried pickle is a snack item found commonly in the American South.
It is made by deep-frying a sliced battered dill pickle.

A restaurant by the name of Cock of the Walk is credited with this
creation. This once small shack located on the Mississippi River is
now a large chain also known for their fried catfish.

Roadfood Forums - Fried Pickles
Posted - 11/27/2005 :  21:08:07
Dearfolk,
As has been noted elsewhere, fried dill pickles began as a last-ditch
effort by a chef to put out food - ANY food - to feed anxious
customers at The Hollywood Cafe in Hollywood, Mississippi. From that
fated moment, their popularity has spread considerably.

One Athens establishment, The Blind Pig, always has them available. In
fact, now I'll have to wander down there and have some in a few
minutes, along with my first taste of their Brunswick stew.

My favorite eatery/drinkery, Copper Creek Brewing Co., offers fried
pickles from time to time. The chef fried some up one night out of
pure boredom; several customers (the regulars first, then others who
noted the oddity and HAD to try some) ordered up some until the place
ran plumb out of pickles.

Both of these examples use the standard Delta version: sliced pickles
cut on the bias and breaded and fried. One nearby restaurant, The
Berryman House in Bowman, Georgia, serves fried pickle spears. The
people there were indeed amazed when I ordered up some with my
breakfast!

Now I can't help but wonder what fried sweet pickle slices would taste like....
Cucumbersomely, Ort. Carlton in Chilly Athens, Georgia.
(...)
Posted - 11/28/2005 :  00:26:59
it is a southern thing, hell we have deep fried versions of just about
everything down here. (Twinkies, snickers, ice cream) They are good at
Cock of the Walk in Maumelle, AR along with the catfish. Just stay
away from the chicken there it tends to be very dry and tough. But
they do have great fish, fried pickles, and tossed cornbread (they
literally throw it up in the air right in front of you and catch it in
a cast iron skillet at your table.

Cock of the Walk Restaurant
The first Cock of the Walk opened in April, 1977, on the bank of the
ole "Mighty Muddy" Mississippi River in Natchez, Mississippi. The
founders were Sallie and Basil Ballard, Weeta and Forrest Colebank,
and Ann and George Eyrich.

19 November 1962, Oakland (CA) Tribune, "Peter Piper Pick a
Peck...,"pg.  23, cols. 3-4:
POPULAR PICKLES again show their versatility in this French Fried
Pickle recipe prepared specially for the 1962 Newspaper Food Editors
Conference in New York. A happy addition to the appetizer tray or used
as a side dish with meats for dinner or a snack with juice, soft
drinks in the evening, these delightful little treats are easy to
prepare and delicious to eat.

FRENCH FRIED PICKLE SLICES
One cup sweet cucumber pickle slices
One cup unsifted pancake mix
Two eggs
Two-thirds cup milk
Oil for frying

Drain pickle slices on paper towels, turn once to dry both sides of
pickle well. Combine eggs and milk; add gradually to pancake mix,
stirring during addition and until mixture is smooth. Heat oil in
electric fry pan with temperature control set at 375 degrees F., or in
skillet on medium fire. Dip drained pickle slices, one at a time into
batter covering pickle slice entirely. Fry in hot fat until golden
brown and turn, about one minute. Drain slices on paper towel and
serve at once while hot. Makes 36 to 40 French Fried Pickle slices.
Use any of the pickle slices...sweet, candied, sweet pickle chips,
etc.

12 December 1969, Burlington (NC) Daily Times-News, "Pickles Help To
Make Any Meal Complete" Miss York Kiker (Department of Agriculture -
Marketing Home Economist), by pg. 13A, cols. 3-4:
French Fried Pickles Slices
1 cup sweet cucumber pickle slices
1 cup unsifted pancake mix
2 eggs
2-3 cup milk
Oil for frying

Drain pickle slices on paper towels, turn once to dry both sides of
pickle well. Combine eggs and milk; add gradually to pancake mix,
stirring during addition and until mixture is smooth. Heat oil in
electric fry pan with temperature control set at 375 degree F. or in
skillet on medium fire. Dip drained pickle slices, one at a time, into
batter covering pickle slices entirely. Fry in hot fat until a golden
brown and turn about minute. Drain slices on paper towel and serve at
once while hot. Yield: 36 to 40 French Fried Pickle slices.

Use any of the pickle slices...sweet, dill, super sweet, pickle chips, etc.
(This article was also printed in December 4, 1969, Lumberton, NC
Robesonian, pg. 9, cols. 5-8—ed.)

10 September 1976, Idaho Falls (ID) Post-Register, pg. A3, col. 1:
This year's fair menu offers everything imaginable, from tacos to spud
dogs, hoagies to home made bread, french dip sandwiches to fried dill
pickles and home made candy to corn on the cob.
(Eastern Idaho State Fair in Blackfoot—ed.)

15 September 1976, Walla Walla (WA) Union-Bulletin, "If pickles are
your dish, then try them in a hot one," pg. 15, col. 2:
Fried pickles
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1/4 cup water
several dill pickles, sliced

Dip the 1/4-inch thick pickle slices in a batter made from the other
ingredients. Fry the coated slices in hot oil until they are golden
brown.

Serve them with a sauce made of slightly more than 1/4 cup ketchup and
slightly less than 1/4 cup mayonnaise.

2 June 1977, Lima (OH) News, pg. D1, col. 5:
By the end of 1973 she decided to combine the two approaches into her
newsletter—a different kind of periodical for women. it contained
chatty little items about keeping house and raising a family, recipes
for unusual dishes like fried pickles and salad soup, and a hefty dose
of jokes and humorous narratives.
(Gloria Pitzer's National Homemaker's Newsletter—ed.)

4 September 1977, Idaho State Journal (Pocatello, ID), pg. D1, col. 2:
"Tiger Ears" (a pressed dough cake with cinnamon and sugar) was the
most popular food at the '76 fair—but this year it may be French Fried
Dill Pickles, the manager predicted. "Hot dill pickles with crisp
batter coating—they are really good!"
(Eastern Idaho State Fair—ed.)

13 November 1977, Abilene (TX) Reporter-News, pg. 2F, col. 4:
FRENCH FRIED DILL PICKLES
Fredda Cook Snyder
2 large dill pickles, sliced
1 egg
1 cup pancake batter
1/2 cup milk
Mix pancake batter with milk and egg. Dip sliced pickles in flour then
in batter. Deep fry until golden.

13 January 1981, North Hills News Record (Warrendale, PA), pg. 9, col. 3 ad:
Deep Fried Dill Pickles
(Franklin Inn at Franklin Park—ed.)

26 August 1982, Chicago (IL) Daily Herald, "Southern-fried dill
pickles?", section 5, pg. 5, col. 1:
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (UPI)—The South has given the world its own special
version of deep-fried chicken and catfish, so why shouldn't there be a
spot on the menu for fried dill pickles?
That's the feeling of Chad Selden of Hollywood, Miss., who claims at
least partial credit for bringing fried pickles into vogue.
Selden's brother, Tate, used to manage The Hollywood,a cafe in their
hometown where fried dill pickles were a favorite item. The cafe is
now owned by Bob Hall, who showed how to make fried dill pickles
during a demonstration at the Mid-South Folklife Festival in Memphis.
"There are a couple of different recipes, real hot and kind of mild,"
Selden said in an interview. "The basic thing is to start with a beer
batter."
(...)
Add spices—garlic salt, paprika, red pepper, black pepper and
"anything you got around the kitchen" to all-purpose flour.
Stir in a little beer. Set the batter aside to thicken enough to cling
to a dill pickle chip.
"It's best to let it age an hour at least, maybe longer, to get all of
the spices to exude all their goodies," Selden said.
Slice dill pickles crosswise about one-eighth to one-quarter-inch
thick. Dip in batter and fry until crisp in deep fat preheated to 350
to 375 degrees. Serve hot.

26 October 1983, Doylestown (PA) Daily Intelligencer, Food, pg. 7, col. 4:
French Fried Pickles
1 qt. dill pickles, thinly sliced
1 3/4 c. flour (divided)
2 tsp. red pepper
2 tsp. paprika
2 tsp. black pepper
2 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp, salt
3 dashes hot sauce
1 c. beer
vegetable oil
Dip pickles in 1 cup flour, set aside. Combine 3/4 cup flour and all
dry ingredients. Add hot sauce and beer, mixing well. Dip pickles into
batter. Deep fry in hot oil until pickles float to top and are golden
brown. Drain and serve. Makes 2 1/2 dozen.
Linda Laidley, 1511 Birchwood, Roslyn.

2 July 1984, Syracuse (NY) Herald-Journal, "The Butcher" by Merle
Ellis," pg. D2, cols. 3-4:
Tavern burgers a timeless summer treat for children
(...)
Taverns originated (al east in my world) at Ye Olde Tavern, a little
restaurant on 14th and Jackson in Sioux City, Iowa, where they were
the house special and were devoured by hordes of hungry high
FRIED DILL PICKLES
1 egg, beaten
8 ounces milk
1 tablespoon Lea & Perrin Sauce
or 6 drops Tabasco
1 tablespoon flour
Salt and pepper
2 cups flour
Sliced dill pickles
Oil for deep frying
Mix beaten egg with milk, sauces and 1 tablespoon flour. Add salt and
pepper to taste. Mix 2 cups flour with salt and pepper to taste in a
separate bowl. Dip pickles in egg mixture then into flour, then into
egg and back into flour. Fry in 350-degree deep fat until golden
brown.

30 October 1985, Doylestown (PA) Daily Intelligencer, "Fried dill
pickles are a regional specialty" by Cecily Brownstone (Associated
Press), pg. 9, cols. 1-3:
DEAR CECILY: I've heard that fried pickles, served with catfish, are a
specialty of the Hollywood Cafe in Hollywood, Miss. (...)—CURIOUS.
DEAR CURIOUS: Because I had never heard of fried dill pickles I asked
an acquaintance of mine who is particularly interested in regional
Southern dishes to research the subject. She reports that according to
the Center for Southern Folklore in Memphis, Tenn., fried dill pickles
are indeed served at Mississippi's Hollywood Cafe. In fact, they
originated there. Here is the recipe she ferreted out.—C. B.
FRIED DILL PICKLES
2 large egg yolks
1 cup water
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
32-ounce jar dill pickles, well drained
Oil for frying
Beat together egg yolks and water until blended. Gradually beat in
flour, keeping the batter smooth, but not over-beating.
Trim ends from pickles. Slice 1/4-inch thick. Dry well on paper towels.
Heat oil for shallow frying to 375 degrees.

Dip pickle slices into batter and fry, without crowding, in the hot
oil until slightly browned. Remove and drain on paper towels. Serve at
once.


(More on website -- B.P.)

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org