Fried Cornichons with Hot Mustard

Name: Fried Cornichons
Prep time: PT0D0H0M
Cook time: PT0D0H30M
Total time: PT0D0H30M
Yield: 2-4
Ingredients: Canola oil; 2 cups all purpose flour; ¼ cup corn starch, plus more for dusting; 2 Tbsp. baking soda; 2 cups chilled sparkling water; 32 each drained cornichons, patted dry; ¼ cup nutritional yeast; 2 tsp. kosher salt; 1½ tsp. garlic powder; 1 tsp. onion powder; 1 tsp. parsley powder; ⅓ cup dijon mustard; ¼ cup mayonnaise; Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

These lightly battered pickles are the star snack at chef Greg Baxtrom’s buzzy new New York City bistro.

Serves
2-4
Time
30 minutes

PHOTOGRAPHY BY BELLE MORIZIO; FOOD STYLING PEARL JONES; PROP STYLING BY DAYNA SEMAN

By Ellen Fort

Published on April 13, 2023

It’s always Snacky Hour somewhere, at least according to snack-obsessed SAVEUR senior editor Ellen Fort. Follow along as she discovers the best bites that fall outside the confines of breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Savory, salty, spicy, sweet, sour: everything’s fair game during Snacky Hour.

From chef Greg Baxtrom, also of Olmsted and Five Acres, the newly opened Petite Patate is a take on the French bistro, serving up classics like steak frites, and new classics like these tantalizing, crispy cornichons that are tossed in a light tempura batter and fried a dusting in herby green seasoning.

Note: The seasoning mix should be fine in order to properly coat cornichons. If unable to find parsley powder, pulverize dried parsley flakes in a mortar and pestle; the same applies to large flakes of nutritional yeast.

Ingredients

For the tempura:

Canola oil
2 cups all purpose flour
¼ cup corn starch, plus more for dusting
2 Tbsp. baking soda
2 cups chilled sparkling water
32 each drained cornichons, patted dry

For the seasoning mix:

¼ cup nutritional yeast
2 tsp. kosher salt
1½ tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. parsley powder

For the hot mustard:

⅓ cup dijon mustard
¼ cup mayonnaise
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

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Instructions

Step 1

Make the hot mustard: In a small bowl, stir together dijon mustard and mayonnaise. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.

Step 2

To a medium pot fitted with a deep-fry thermometer, add canola oil to a depth of 2 inches. Turn the heat to medium-high until the temperature reads 350°F.

Step 3

Meanwhile, make the batter. Whisk together all purpose flour, corn starch, and baking soda. Slowly pour in chilled sparkling water, whisking until incorporated. Do not overmix; a few small lumps are fine.

Step 4

After patting the cornichons dry, lightly toss in remaining cornstarch. Submerge dusted cornichons in tempura batter. Transfer each cornichon to hot oil with a fork; use a spider or slotted metal spoon to fully submerge fried cornichons to brown evenly on all sides. Fry until golden brown, around 3-4 minutes. Remove from oil and drain on paper towel. Transfer cornichons to bowl of seasoning mix and toss generously. Serve with hot mustard.