Pickle Party — a plant-based British recipe by BOSH!
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Pickle Party

Okay, this one is a bit of a banger and we make absolutely no apologies for it. A dirty pickle martini alongside crispy plant-based fried 'chicken' is honestly one of the greatest flavour combos we've ever put together, and once you've tried it you'll totally get why we keep coming back to it. The salty, tangy hit of pickle juice in the martini is absolutely wild in the best possible way, and the fried 'chicken' is golden, crunchy, and so good it'll have everyone reaching across the table. This is the kind of thing you make when you want to genuinely impress people, or when you just fancy treating yourself on a Friday night. Trust us on this one, it's a proper party on a plate.

Cook: 40 min
Serves 6

Before You Start

  • Preheat oven to 200°C
  • Martini glass
  • Cocktail shaker
  • Wide heavy-based pan
  • Large mixing bowl
  • Baking tray
  • Mushrooms marinated in fridge for 1 hour
  • Martini glass chilled in freezer

Ingredients

  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp salt
  • pickles - (from a jar is fine)
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • ½ tsp onion powder
  • 160ml unsweetened plant-based milk
  • panko breadcrumbs
  • 200ml plant-based milk
  • 100ml plant-based yoghurt
  • 1 ½ tbsp of pickle juice
  • 500g oyster mushrooms
  • 150g plain flour
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • ½ tsp cayenne pepper
  • ½ tsp smoked paprika
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • vegetable oil for frying
  • 120g plain flour
  • 1 tbsp of pickle juice
  • 60ml vodka
  • lemon peel
  • ice
  • pickle on a stick garnish

Method

1

For the Martini

  • Chill the glass before you build your Martini, put your Martini glass in the freezer to chill
  • Place the gin or vodka and pickle juice in a cocktail shaker
  • Add cubed ice and shake vigorously for 10 seconds
  • Strain the drink straight into the martini glass
  • Garnish with the pickle on a cocktail stick and a lemon peel
2

For the Fried Chicken

  • Combine the plant-based milk, yoghurt, pickle juice and salt, whisk well to incorporate
  • Allow to rest for 5 minutes
  • Place the mushrooms in a bowl and cover with the buttermilk marinade
  • Allow to rest in the fridge for 1 hour
3

Heating up the oil for frying

  • Place approximately 2cm of vegetable oil in a wide heavy-based pan and place over a medium heat
  • Test the oil is hot enough by placing a cube of bread in the oil, it should brown quickly
  • Combine the flour, black pepper, cayenne, paprika and garlic powder in a bowl and mix well
4

Frying the mushrooms

  • Remove the mushrooms from the fridge
  • Place each mushroom in the flour mixture and toss well until very well coated with oil
  • Repeat with all the remaining mushrooms
  • Place the mushrooms in one layer in the pan (this may need to be done in batches), be careful not to crowd the pan
  • Cook the mushrooms for approximately 8-10 minutes, using tongs to turn regularly. They should be golden brown on the outside
  • If the oil is getting too hot and starting to smoke decrease the temperature
  • Remove from the pan and place on clean kitchen paper to remove any excess oil
  • Serve immediately
5

For the Pickle Fries

  • Remove your pickles from the jar and slice them in half
  • Lay them on a sheet of kitchen roll. Take another sheet and dab the excess liquid off the pickles
  • In a large mixing bowl, add the flour, paprika, hot sauce, salt, pepper, onion powder and plant based milk. Mix to form a batter consistency
  • Put panko breadcrumbs in a separate bowl
  • Take your pickle slices and dip them in the batter followed by the breadcrumbs, making sure there is an even layer
  • Place the pickle fries on a baking tray and pop in the oven for 20-30 minutes until the breadcrumbs are golden brown
  • Serve immediately with a side of mayo and Siracha. Enjoy!

Tips & Variations

  • Chill everything down: Pop your martini glass in the freezer at least 15 minutes before you need it. A warm glass will water down your drink faster than you'd think, and nobody wants a sad martini.
  • Get your oil hot enough: For the crispiest fried 'chicken', make sure your oil is properly up to temperature before you start frying. If it's not hot enough, things get greasy rather than golden. A small piece of batter should sizzle immediately when it hits the oil.
  • Make it your own: Henry loves adding a tiny pinch of smoked paprika to the coating for a bit of extra depth. Give it a go if you want to dial up the flavour even more.

Why This Works

The trick here is the pickle juice doing double duty, it goes into both the martini and the marinade for the fried 'chicken', so every single element on the table is singing the same flavour note. That brine adds a sharp, savoury depth that you just can't fake with anything else. We find that chilling your glass properly before building the martini makes a huge difference too, it keeps everything ice cold and crisp all the way to the last sip.