Why it works: Flour and dill work together. They rank in the top 15% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 639 recipes. Both carry isobutyraldehyde, which smells malty, green. The science ↓
Deep-fried Dill Pickles
Ingredients
Directions
Make the batter
Stir flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt into large bowl.
Make a well in centre; add water, egg yolk and pickle juice, all at once.
Stir with wire whisk to make a smooth batter.
Cover bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Fry and serve
Heat at least 2 inches of oil in deep fryer or large saucepan to 375ºF.
In batches, dip pickle slices in the batter to coat evenly and lightly.
Fry without crowding in hot oil until golden and crisp, 1-1/2 to 2 minutes.
Drain on paper towels and serve at once.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 5 of 6 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 5 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Dill | 5 sprigs fresh (1g) / 1 tsp dried | 4 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Water | not in our table | 0 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
-
Flour + dilltop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together639 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Flour + eggtop 15% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together106,462 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Egg + dilltop 23% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together1,008 recipes
Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).
Flour and egg barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 106,462 recipes: they work on texture and structure more than aroma.
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- All-purpose flour
- Forms the main structure of the batter that clings to the pickle slices.
- Cornstarch
- Helps the coating fry up light and crisp rather than heavy.
- Baking powder
- Releases gas in the batter, helping it puff and stay airy as it fries.
- Egg yolk
- Adds richness and helps bind the batter so it coats evenly.
- Ice water
- Keeps the batter cold so it fries crisp, with less gluten formed for a lighter coating.
The step that matters
Fry without crowding. Adding too many slices at once drops the oil temperature, so the batter soaks up oil instead of crisping. Frying in batches keeps the oil hot, giving a golden, crisp coating.
Swap the dill
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (flour, egg):
- Jalapenofits better
- Capersfits better
- Nutmegfits better
- Dillthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against flour, egg. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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