Deep-fried and delicious, frickles AKA fried pickles are fast becoming a mainstay on menus in London. With a crisp, snappy texture and light battered casing – it’s about time these battered bad boys enjoyed some time in the spotlight. Here’s where to get your frickle fix in London:

1. For a Spicy Frickle: Absurd Bird

Order: Fried pickles with ranch dressing (£4.75)

The Lowdown: Absurd Bird is a chicken shop like no other. It’s weird and it’s wacky; taking pride in the great food it serves directly from farms across the UK. With a menu that includes twists on delicious classics such as traditional chicken and waffles, giant BBQ smothered chicken wings as well as the state fair favourite, fried Ppckles, Absurd Bird serve hearty Southern American food with big US portions to match.

Serving: The fresh pickles are coated in their secret spice mix and then gently deep-fried to get that golden-brown crunch served with a generous helping of original ranch sauce.

Eat: Bursting with flavour as you bite in, they’re the perfect finger food and pre-dinner snack. You’ll probably not want to share.

Where: Locations here 

2. For a Classic Frickle: MEATLiquor

Order: Fried pickles and blue cheese dip (£3.75)

The Lowdown: Started as a burger van (the MEATwagon), then after its theft came #meateasy: a debauched 3 month pop-up, before opening the first restaurant in 2011. MEATmission was the third permanent member of the MEATfam (there’s now 11, with more to come) and is set in an old missionary complete with stained glass windows and a confessional box photobooth to match. MEAT and liquor are our thing, but we’re not just burgers and booze…

Serving: The frickles are served piping hot from the fryer on a bed of lettuce with cooling blue cheese dip on the side. Simple and fuss-free. We like.

Eat: Pickles fried in delicious beer batter – what’s not to love? And the perfect battered shovel for the creamy blue cheese dip they’re served with.

Where: Locations here 

3. For US-Style Frickles: The Fat Bear

Order: Fried pickles with hot pepper jelly (£6.50)

The Lowdown: Award-winning American regional restaurant in the City of London, serving a menu predominantly focused on Cajun, Creole, Southern and Soul food. It’s a family affair: American wife and British husband run both the kitchen and front of house. Probably the best American whiskey collection in town.

Serving: Cut into quartered spears, egg and milk washed, then floured, crumbed in panko, deep-fried and served with their house-made hot pepper jelly.

Eat: Crunchy, crispy, hot, vinegary and spicy – they tick a ton of boxes for texture and flavour.

Where: 61 Carter Ln, London EC4V 5DY

4. For Cheesy Frickles: Bird

Order: Deep-fried pickles with blue cheese sauce (£3.75)

The Lowdown: Bird sells fried chicken, but not the sort of fried chicken you buy after a night on the tiles. This is proper chicken (free-range, no less), cooked to a tee. They do things properly at bird: buns stacked high with fried chicken accompanied by homemade dips and sauces. And they do weird and wonderful sweet and savoury mash ups like fried chicken in a glazed doughnut. Blimey.

Serving: Encased in a lightweight jacket of batter and served whole. Perfectly done.

Eat: B-e-autiful salty, briny and dill-y flavour, these puffy golden bites are incredibly moreish.  And the blue cheese sauce is a potent punch to the senses.

Where: Locations here

5. For Pickles to Make at Home: Mrs Elswood

Southern Frickles and Sriracha Aioli

Prep time: 15 mins

Cooking time: 5 mins

Ingredients:

– 10 Mrs Elswood Sweet Cucumber Spears with dill

For the Seasoned Flour:

– 200g plain flour

– 150g corn flour

– 2tsp onion powder

– 2tsp garlic powder

– 1tsp paprika

– 1/2tsp white pepper ground

– 1/2tsp cayenne pepper

– Pinch of salt

For the Buttermilk:

– 284ml buttermilk

– 1tbsp dry thyme

– 1tbsp dry rosemary

– 1tbsp dry oregano

For the Aioli:

– 7tbsp mayonnaise

– 4 cloves garlic

– 1tbsp sriracha

– 2 limes (juiced)

– Pinch of salt

– ½ bunch coriander (chopped)

Method:

1. Preheat a fryer to 165c

2. Add all ingredients for the sriracha aioli to a food processor and blend until smooth, then set aside.

3. In a bowl mix the seasoned flour and in another mix the buttermilk ingredients.

4. Coat the pickles in seasoned flour, dust off any excess.

5. Dip in buttermilk, then coat once again in seasoned flour.

6. Fry them for approximately 5 minutes or until golden brown, then rest before enjoying with the sriracha aioli.