Place enough peanut oil in a 4-5 qt cast iron Dutch Oven to come up half way up the side of the pot. Place over a medium-high heat and bring to 400 degrees F.

Remove the pickles from their brine and cut lengthwise into quarters like spears. Lay the spears on a sheet pan lined with paper towels and pat them dry. You can also slice the pickles or as I did purchase them sliced.

Place the buttermilk in a 1" shallow dish and mix together the cornmeal and salt in a separate dish. Dip each pickle, one at a time, first into the buttermilk, then into the cornmeal and then repeat. Carefully place each pickle into the hot oil and cook until golden brown, approximately 2 minutes. You can fry 3 to 4 pickles (as spears) in a pot at a time. As slices, you can cook 10-15 at a time. Adjust the heat, if necessary, in order to maintain a constant temp of 400 degrees F. Transfer the pickles to a cooling rack set in a half sheet pan and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes before eating. Season with additional salt and the cayenne pepper, if desired.